Loachapoka
has a new neighbor - with a flair for the aesthetic.
The Rattling
Gourd Gallery is a sprawling 3,800 square-foot exhibition space cradled inside
a recently restored 1907 Victorian home on U.S. Highway 14.
It's a place
where art is given a home and everthing - except the coffee pot - has its
price.
Resurrected
by Gina and Joe Touchton, along with a crew of handy helpers, the Rattling
Gourd was established as a haven for local artists searching for the proper
place to sell their wares.
"We really needed
something to help promote the locals," said Gina Touchton. "We looked around,
and there really wasn't a place for these artists to sell their work."
A talented artist
in her own right, Touchton had grown tired of creating from a cramped and
cluttered dining room/studio and set out to find a proper space for her work.
After pricey
rental properties in Auburn proved to be too prohibitive, Touchton and her
husband were tipped off to the Loachapoka house.
And that's when
the fun began.
"It was in pretty
bad shape when we started," Touchton recalled, flipping through a scrapbook
of before pictures. "But the house had fine boned underneath ... that's for
sure.
"We had something
great to start with, it was just a matter of bringing it out." The rescue
mission began in mid-November. The house had to practically be gutted, including
a complete rewiring and plumbing system. But when the gallery celebrated its
grand opening on Aug. 25, Touchton knew it was well worth the effort.
"Every time
I walk in, it's like, 'Wow. I can't believe this is all mine,'" Touchton
said. "It's fun to see the people's reaction when they come in for the first
time."
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With the gallery
featuring 90-plus local works hanging from the walls and countless more filling
every nook and cranny, Touchton believes that the Rattling Gourd has something
for all artistic tastes.
"From $7 bracelets
to a $4,000 hand-carved rocking chair, we've tried to fill this space with
a very eclectic collection," she said. "We've really got something for everyone."
Though Rattling
Gourd is home to an inventory of local talents - Terry Rodriguez, Bob Ekelund,
Conrad and Janice Ross, Margaret Mayfield and Mary Stevens - it's also a show
place for imported arts as well.
"We have quite
a few pieces from Mexico, Bali, Haiti and Kenya," said Touchton. "Like I said,
we're trying to offer pieces for a wide range of interests."
In addition
to its own collection, the Rattling Gourd also plays landlord to a pair of
upstairs businesses - Venture Out Sports, an established Montgomery store
with outdoor wear and sporting equipment, and Portabello Road, a shop offering
vintage clothing, linens and other retro items.
And while content
for the moment with her new gallery, Touchton has artistic aspirations that
reach well beyound her painted walls.
"I've got a
mission for Loachapoka," she said. "There are some really neat, amazing homes
around here that deserve to be fixed up.
"We're hoping
that this gallery will start a local trend."
Part of that
trend will be informing gallery visitors of the vast wealth of artistic ability
lurking in the surrounding areas.
"It's amazing
how much talent is around here," Touchton said. "And I don't even know everybody
that's out there.
"I just feel
like this area is really starting to take off, and I'm glad that we're a part
of that. It's a real exciting time to be an art lover." |
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