8 Ways to Get Involved in Gallia's Art Scene

Gallia County has so much to offer to those interested in the arts! If you are visiting downtown Gallipolis be sure not to miss The Artisan Shoppe and Studio and The French Art Colony!

The Artisan Shoppe and Studio has kicked off the new year with a very popular course, Photography Basics, as well as many other fun classes such as Brush and Bottles and Wilton Cake Decorating. The Shoppe sells local artists' products, soaps, jewelry, artwork, crafts, and more. The Artisan Shoppe  and Studio is located on 300 Second Avenue across from the City Park.

Click here to see our Word on the Street Extra's Video Featuring The Artisan Shoppe and Studio with a sneak peak at a Wilton Cake Decorating Course.

The French Art Colony is the cornerstone of Gallia County's arts scene. Stop in to view exhibits or learn the history of historic home. The FAC is also the home of the Riverby Theatre Guild. Everyone is welcome to join the Theatre Guild, from acting to backstage it is a really fun way to get involved. The FAC also hosts a monthly Trivia Night at the Colony Club restaurant! If you are interested you can find them on Social Media or call (740) 446-3834.

Meet Joseph Wright the Executive Director (and other Gallia County Community Organizations) of the FAC in this Word on the Street Episode here!

Whether it is to learn or admire, be sure to check out some of the upcoming Art Classes and Exhibits below!

French Art Colony Exhibit by Barbara Delligatti
January 12 – February 25
Time: Tuesday-Friday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
           Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
           Sunday-Monday CLOSED
Free Admission: Open to the Public

French Art Colony
First Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-446-3834

An exhibit by Professional Watercolor Artist Barbara Delligatti. For more information, contact The French Art Colony

Photography Basics
January 20
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Cost: $20 prepay or $25 walk-in
Ages: Any

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Photography Basics taught by Jessica Malone
Jessica Malone Photo/ Requiem & Revelry Fine Art Photo
Students will learn the basics of camera operations and the fundamentals of shooting. Students will gain a working knowledge of aperture, shutter, priority and manual shooting modes. Workshop will cover all necessary information to get students confidently shooting and comfortably talking about photography. Students will also receive an introduction to visual composition, as well as professional tips and tricks to photographing children and family.

Photography Basics
January 21
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Cost: $20 prepay or $25 walk-in
Ages: Any

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Photography Basics taught by Jessica Malone
Jessica Malone Photo/ Requiem & Revelry Fine Art Photo
Students will learn the basics of camera operations and the fundamentals of shooting. Students will gain a working knowledge of aperture, shutter, priority and manual shooting modes. Workshop will cover all necessary information to get students confidently shooting and comfortably talking about photography. Students will also receive an introduction to visual composition, as well as professional tips and tricks to photographing children and family.

Wilton Cake Decorating: Course 3
January 26
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
$40 or $60 if you need a kit (whole course)
Ages: 13+

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Fondant and Gum Paste
(When you sign up, you are signing up for all dates to complete the course)
Taught by Tracy French
Learn how to work with fondant and gum paste. From covering your cakes to cutting shapes and painting on fondant, you'll learn all the essentials and get to create flowers, like calla lilies, roses and carnations!
Your Certified Wilton Method Instructor will help you each step of the way as you learn how easy it can be to:
-Prepare and color gum and paste and fondant
-Cover a cake with fondant
-Create different types of bows and flowers, including the calla lily, rose and carnation
-Discover how easy it is to paint on fondant
-Design and complete a cake with the shapes and flowers from course
This class is intended for teens and adults (must be at least 13 years old)

Pencil, Pen and Ink Drawing Class: Course 1
January 26
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
$50 whole course
Ages: 16+

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Taught by Brad Painter.
The $50 pays for all four dates to complete the course, so these aren't separate classes. Drawing kits will be available for $15 more to be able to take home after the class. All materials for the class are provided.
You will be learning shading techniques with pencil, pen & ink. Learn ways to create depth on a 2-D plane, learn about looking and seeing the world around you. Cross hatching, hatching, scribbling, etc.
Please stop in The Artisan Shoppe or contact us for an invoice to reserve your spot. You must pay the full class fee ahead of time for your spot to be reserved.

Photography Basics
January 27
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Cost: $20 prepay or $25 walk-in
Ages: Any

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Photography Basics taught by Jessica Malone
Jessica Malone Photo/ Requiem & Revelry Fine Art Photo
Students will learn the basics of camera operations and the fundamentals of shooting. Students will gain a working knowledge of aperture, shutter, priority and manual shooting modes. Workshop will cover all necessary information to get students confidently shooting and comfortably talking about photography. Students will also receive an introduction to visual composition, as well as professional tips and tricks to photographing children and family.

Brush & Bottle
January 27
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
11”x14” canvas $20 or 18”x24” canvas $40

The class will be taking inspiration/it will be similar to this picture

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

At Brush & Bottle, you may bring your own wine, alcohol, or beverage of your choice and get to learn how to paint different images from professional artist, Valerie G. Thomas. Brush & Bottle is a monthly event in Gallipolis at The Artisan Studio and you must pay ahead of time to reserve your spot. Art supplies will be provided, but alcoholic beverages will not. Each class is about two hours and there are 10 spots available. If you have any questions:
Call (740) 853-2364
Email ValerieGThomasArt@hotmail.com or GalliaCountyArtisanMarket@gmail.com
Facebook Message Valerie G. Thomas Art / The Artisan Shoppe & Studio

Traditional Stained Glass Class
January 28
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
$60

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Traditional stained glass (pre-Tiffany-style) works with glass and lead came instead of copper foil. There is less soldering to be done as the glass simply fits into the lead came channels. Beginner's class on January 28 will be completing a stained glass log cabin quilt block pattern. The class will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. color options are blue/blue swirl, red/red swirl, green, green swirl, white/white swirl or yellow/yellow swirl. Please indicate color by Thursday, January 26. You will learn how to cut glass to fit, how to fit glass into channels, and how to tack stained glass to complete the project. Tuition is $60. All tools and supplies are included.
You must pay ahead of time to reserve your spot for this class. You can come to the Artisan Shoppe & Studio during our open hours to pay or you can request an invoice to pay via email.

Photography Basics
January 28
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Cost: $20 prepay or $25 walk-in
Ages: Any

The Artisan Shoppe & Studio
300 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-853-2364

Photography Basics taught by Jessica Malone
Jessica Malone Photo/ Requiem & Revelry Fine Art Photo
Students will learn the basics of camera operations and the fundamentals of shooting. Students will gain a working knowledge of aperture, shutter, priority and manual shooting modes. Workshop will cover all necessary information to get students confidently shooting and comfortably talking about photography. Students will also receive an introduction to visual composition, as well as professional tips and tricks to photographing children and family.

Barbara Delligatti Reception
January 29
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Free; Open to Public

French Art Colony
530 First Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631
740-446-3834

Please join us at the French Art Colony for a reception and viewing of our latest exhibit: "One Woman Watercolor Art Show" by Award Winning Professional Watercolor Artist, Barbara Dellegatti. Meet the artist and view these breathtaking paintings. Light refreshments will be served. Come out for an afternoon of beautiful art and speak with the artist about her work and inspiration.

French Art Colony: Trivia Night
January 31
6:30 pm
$10 to play

Event held at:
Colony Club
418 Second Avenue
Gallipolis, OH 45631

Teams of 6 people or less only. There will be 5 trivia rounds, plus extras! The winning team wins prizes and door prizes are given throughout the event. The trivia categories are: “Food”, “Comics”, “Where Is It?”, “Nursery Rhymes”, and “January” Call the French Art Colony for more information 740-446-3834

Want to see more of Gallia County's local Artists and Artisans?

Check out our YouTube channel!!

Did we miss something? Send it to us!

 Want to join our weekly events blast? Email us! 

info@visitgallia.com

Three Signs it's Time to Cancel Your Event

              This year, due to a large Tourism convention taking place the same day as our scheduled Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo, we received too few registrations to, in good conscious, move forward with the event in 2017. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused, but we strive to ensure the event attracts enough visitors to be worthwhile for our exhibitors. We do hope you consider taking part in 2018, as we will begin planning that event in the summer.

            The GCCVB hosts many events throughout the year and one very important part of event planning is knowing when to cancel an event. After putting so much time and effort into organizing the details and spreading the word, it is difficult to decide to not move forward. Here are a few signs that means it is time to cancel the event.

1. Your Location Isn't Flexible. Sometimes in order to move forward with your event you need to change your dates or even the location. For example, our expo was/has been at the University of Rio Grande Lyne Center. Unfortunately, due to the busyness of the University a date change was not possible.

2. Timing is Off. It is usually best to keep an annual event the same time each year. But sometimes you just can't make the stars align. When you work in such a large industry, like tourism, there are always many other expos and conventions that are hosted around the same time. The AAA Great Vacations Travel Expo and The Heartland Show are two of the biggest shows that pull CVB's and tourist attractions from our area. And when one event is pushed back they all are. Which is exactly what happened to us. The AAA show was moved back and thus causing The Heartland show to be the same weekend as the Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo.

3. Meeting Expectations. If you see a poster for a Bake Sale and it turns out just to be two cookies and some broccoli you're going to be disappointed as well as confused. When you advertise your event to offer something and you were unable to provide enough of that it might be time to consider cancelling. You want to meet the expectations of your exhibitors and your guests, if you can't then proceeding with the event could change the future expectations for all. 

       Sometimes cancelling your event is the better choice. It doesn't mean that you weren't good at event planning, just that the stars weren't aligned. It is always important to consider how much time you have to cancel so that the degree of inconvenience to your exhibitors is slight. Remember, event planning isn't an exact science and knowing when to cancel an event is an important arrow in you event planning quiver.

Our New Logo and Slogan!

The Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau was established in 1986 as a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization with a goal of attracting and welcoming visitors to the area, as well as educating tourists and locals of the region's history and infrastructure.

When I came on to the CVB I took on the task of creating a new logo for us. I wanted to create something that represented the whole of Gallia County. I created at least four different designs to choose from and this one was my favorite designs.

Creating this design made me really proud of what our community has accomplished. We are able to host many events (Bob Evans Farm Festival, The Hoop Project, River Recreation Festival, etc.), that bring people from all over to our little slice of heaven. Our history is preserved and celebrated at our many historical attractions. Unfortunately I was unable to include every business or organization, which was a tough decision.

Gallia County has a little something for everyone and that's what I wanted to share with visitors looking to come to our area, whether your into the arts, history, shopping or none of the above. Come to Gallia County and I'm sure we can find something that fits you.

100% Pure Appalachian Adventure

I struggled with determining our new slogan for the Gallia County CVB. I wanted something engaging yet not too simple. I thought about how to use the slogan for marketing purposes and I saw so much potential with this slogan. Executive Director Amanda Crouse and myself agreed that it fits Gallia County the best!

As always thanks for reading! If you have any questions about Gallia County contact us at info@visitgallia.com !

Gallia County CVB and the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce/CIC are Teaming Up...Again!

In my time at the GCCVB, including my 2015 summer internship, I have met quiet a few people who have been incredibly supportive of the GCCVB and my projects here. One group in particular is the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce! Michelle Miller, Elisha Orsbon, and Mary Marianne Campbell, are all fantastic assets to our community and the Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo!

For those of you who don't know what the Chamber does here is a quick summary;

"The Gallia County Chamber of Commerce promotes, supports and strengthens business and economic development throughout the County and provides leadership through networking and education, to improve the overall business environment for Chamber members.   This goal can be reached only by supporting local business, the backbone of any community."

Now the GCCVB and the Chamber have joined forces again for the Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo! The 9th Annual Southeast Ohio Tourism and Business Expo will take place on March 4, 2017 at the University of Rio Grande, Lyne Center.

A great event for all ages, the Expo gives exhibitors the opportunity to showcase travel, historic and business destinations from all over the region and connect one-on-one with the general public.
Gallia County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau Executive Director Amanda Crouse said the Southeast Ohio Tourism and Business Expo is beneficial to both Gallia County and the surrounding region.

“It’s a great networking opportunity that gives the exhibitors the opportunity to market themselves and magnify their exposure to the public. By working with surrounding communities, Southeastern Ohio is stronger as a whole, which directly benefits our individual counties,” said Crouse. “It also educates the community members about what their area has to offer, not only in their backyard, but all across the region.”

Exhibitors signed up for the 2017 event include attractions and businesses from both Ohio and West Virginia. Registration can be done online at www.galliacounty.org or contact the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce (740-446-0596) for additional information.

“We are excited to be a part of this event. We wholeheartedly believe it will be a great opportunity for our local and regional businesses to promote themselves to potential customers. We hope to see the Expo grow and expand in the coming years,” said Chamber Executive Director Michelle Miller.
The Southeast Ohio Tourism and Business Expo will take place Saturday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the University of Rio Grande, Lyne Center, 218 N. College Avenue, Rio Grande, Ohio 45674.

Admission is free! Don’t miss this great opportunity to see what the Southeast Ohio region has to offer!

Want more info on the Expo? Check out our webpage by clicking, here!



To register as an exhibitor, please contact the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce or online at http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event…

Happy Holidays from the GCCVB

We would like to thank our community for allowing us to represent Gallia County. We do not take this task lightly and do everything in our power to share the best we have to offer with residents and visitors to our area!

It is the best job to be able to focus on the county as a whole. I have only been in my position for 6 months but in the time here I am blown away by what Gallia County has to offer. From the Farmer and Artisan Markets, to local shops and fantastic events, Gallia County is on the rise and I am so excited to kick-off the 2017 year with a bang!

To new businesses and old thank you for making Gallia your home. To the City and Local schools thank you for allowing the GCCVB teach students about tourism. Thank you to our sponsors of events past, we value your help more than you know. Thank you to the organizations, community members, and everyone in-between. We love bragging about how awesome our community is!

So with a Happy Holidays we wish you the very best this holiday season! May it be filled with laughter, full bellies and loved ones gathered near.

GCCVB to Attend to Travel/Tourism Expos in 2017

The GCCVB participates in two travel expo's each year; AAA Great Vacations Travel Expo and the Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo. Each event gives us the opportunity to represent Gallia County with a goal to bring tourists to our area that will ultimately increase revenue for our local businesses and attractions.

AAA Great Vacations Travel Expo
Feb 3-5th 2017  |  FRI 12-7  SAT 10-7  SUN 11-4  | Greater Columbus Convention Center


The first expo we will be attending is the AAA Great Vacations Travel show in Columbus, Ohio. We will have the opportunity to meet with folks and tell them all about Gallia County and why it is a great place to visit! We get to share about our history, attractions, local shops and restaurants! This will be my first expo with the GCCVB, last year I actually worked for AAA as a Travel Consultant and was in the luggage store. I am very excited to be at the expo representing Gallia County in 2017! Our staff has been working diligently on promotional items, tour planners and booth design! Also we will be unveiling a new logo and slogan! The AAA Great Vacations Travel show is February 3rd-5^th, if you’re there stop by and say hey!

2016 Booth

Southeastern Ohio Tourism and Business Expo
March 4th  2017      10 am- 3pm             University of Rio Grande Lyne Center
  

When I was in high school my mom, who ran The Timberleaf Lodge, was on the GCCVB Board of Trustees and brought me to the 2012 expo. It was there when I got my first taste of tourism and played a significant role in pushing me into a career in local tourism. This being my first Expo that I will be helping organize I am really looking forward to working with the Gallia Co. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber and the GCCVB work very closely and have a similar goals. Where we focus on the overall tourism of Gallia County, the Gallia Co. Chamber of Commerce focuses on local businesses. This team effort gives us the opportunity to not only represent Gallia County but Southeastern Ohio. The Chamber of Commerce has several members that are actually outside of our county lines. These contacts allow us the opportunity to include more business, attractions and organization in the expo.

"The Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Gallia County Chamber of Commerce will team up again in 2017 to bring the Southeast Ohio Tourism and Business Expo to Gallia County. The event will take place on March 4th, 2017 at the University of Rio Grande, Lyne Center.
Registration is now open for any regional tourist attraction or business who wishes to participate. The deadline to register is January 15, 2017. Registration can either be completed online (http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07edahcq1q90c9616e&llr=zp7j7aqab) or by printing the registration form and mailing or faxing it to the Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau."  

The cost is $25 for one table, $45 for two tables and $70 for three tables and includes breakfast and lunch for two exhibitor attendees.
For more information, call the GCCVB at (740) 446-6882 or the Chamber at (740) 446-0596.

Follow us on Facebook! …..https://www.facebook.com/southeastohiotourismandbusinessexpo/

Check out our Webpage for more info!...http://seohiotourismandbusinessexpo.weebly.com/

2016 Christmas Parade

DECEMBER 3RD, 2016                         1:00 PM

This will be the first Christmas Parade that I help organize and it is a different process that I'm used to. The GCCVB chooses the theme, takes the registration, organizes the event and hands it off to a few different organizations. (Kiwanis & 93.1 The Wolf) Which is a great way to work with different community organization, according to the staff here this is how they have done it for years and it must work well for us.

Our first staff meeting about the Parade was to choose the theme. We looked into our archives of past Christmas Parade themes so that we didn't duplicate. I turned to Pinterest for inspiration and my goal was to find a creative theme that would encourage the participants to think outside of the box. I came to the staff meeting with a notebook of suggestions and the one that took was, "All I Want for Christmas is..."

When the dates and details were confirmed here comes the fun/hard part, spreading the word about the Parade. Social Media is a great way to share an event but you have to be clear with your information. Myself and Executive Assistant Karen McCarty went to work on the registration form. Happy to say there hasn't been too much confusion, if any, with the form. I also created a logo (one of my favorite things to do) for the parade to add to forms, social media, etc..

Our goal was to make the form easy to understand for participants to fill out and for us to understand what they are requesting.

We are working mainly with Facebook, because it is one of the more popular social media site in Gallia County. We created an event page to share the Parade and answer questions. It has also been a great way to share the registration form. Unfortunately we aren't able to create a online form to fill out at this time but allow forms to be submitted via social media, email, hand in, mail or via telephone (if necessary). The event page can be found on the official Gallia County Convention and Visitors Bureau Page or clicking here.

My battle is getting the expressing the importance of meeting the deadline (November 18th) to register. With Thanksgiving right after the deadline and other events that we must take care of, there are only a few days to finish the line-ups and get the information out to the right people. As a staff of only two full time and two part-time employees, there is only so much we can do. So my first step was sending registration forms to all past participants, then emailing my contacts the forms. I dropped a few forms to local businesses on Second Avenue and shared with the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce. On social media I have been doing my best to blast with deadline reminders.

Stay tuned for the reveal of this year's Christmas Parade Marshall!

The Parade itself will take place on December 3rd, 2016 at 1:00pm, 2nd Avenue through town ending at the Gallipolis City Park. The participates are judged and will receive certificates for, Best Baton/Dance Unit, Best Old Car, Best Theme Float, etc.