Last night was First Friday here in Spirit Lake and a chance for the local community to spend some quality time in the Hill Street stores, listen to "street music", visit with friends and frequent the local galleries. Hill Street and the shops were full with people celebrating the return of summer which many have felt was long overdue. First Friday is a time when local business have the opportunity to encourage the public to support their establishments, which also supports the entire local community.
During the past several months my wife and myself have made a bigger effort to shop at our local business establishments rather than at the large chain stores in the community. I've become a firm believer that the dollar spent with a local merchant touches more local lives than the same dollar that is spent with a chain operation. I've been made more aware of this since being involved with a couple of local galleries and becoming personally involved with the owners of each. The life of each of these galleries, like those through out our country, is dependent on the dollars that are left there with the purchase of fine art by customers. The owners, in most cases, have put in large amounts of time and personal cash to support an idea that fine art is important to all communities, large or small. I have made an effort to purchase gifts at these galleries for friends, weddings, birthdays, etc. rather than buying something typical from a larger chain store, because I believe that a gift of fine art will have more meaning and become a part of the recipients life surroundings for years to come and I want to support our local artists.
Local art galleries have changed over the years in response to the public buying styles and offer a wide range of pricing onart items. In our local galleries you can purchase greeting cards to large art pieces from $3.50 on up and the purchase of such items not only support the local gallery owners, but also the local artists. The greeting cards rival those by the big production operations and usually have a more local appeal than generic cards. At the local potter around the corner we have found some fantastic bowls that we use everyday for meals and decor. And again, the dollars for all these purchases go back into the community through the local gallery owner and artist. What a better more thoughtful way to say you care for someone than a piece of fine art? The added feature to all of this is that these gallery owners have given local artists a place to display their work and enrich the community environs.
The simple message here is to get out to enjoy your town and support the local community businesses and artists. If you like to read there's the local bookstore, if you need groceries there are several choices including the newest...locally grown produce markets. Our small and large towns offer a wide variety of places for entertainment and shopping and they are probably all owned by someone that lives near you, pays local taxes and serves on a local community board. Chances are most likely that the money you give them through shopping their store trickles back into your life through another door.
Towns across the country have begun to realize the importance of their roots and have beensprucing up their main streets and town squares. Through our travels of surrounding states the face lift of downtown areas has been very evident and is refreshing. Visitingold town squares and main streets is much more enjoyable than shopping in the "shiny steel and plastic" chain stores that seem to be popping up all over our cityscape's. While these chain operations may have their place in our society, the town stores and galleries are the hearts of our neighborhoods and need of our support.
As with many states, Iowa is punctuated by "dead" zones...those areas where small towns haven't survived and while there's no guarantee that a town business will make it in any town, it'smore devastating when an entire town dies from lack of support from it's local citizens.
Enjoy your main street, and even the local repair shop for that matter. Your neighbor may be depending on you!
Other sites of my work:
A Piece Of Work Gallery, Spirit Lake, Iowa http://www.apieceofworkinc.com/alcove_3.php
Art On 16th, Spirit Lake, Iowa 712.330.6007
Art Of The Vine Gallery http://www.artofthevinegallery.com/
Artisans Road Trip http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/index.htm
BetterPhoto.com http://www.betterphoto.com/Premium/Default.aspx?id=251674&mp=V1
CR Gallery, Milford, Iowa 712.338.4155
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