The Artique Gallery and ArtHouse6 - A Home for the Arts

New life, and the arts, have been brought to 128 Walnut St. in downtown Johnstown. This building, built in 1870, is the present-day home to The Artique Gallery Market and Arthouse 6, two great opportunities for appreciating the arts and creating them under one roof! Jim and Laura Argenbright, are the owners of the Artique Gallery and also manage ArtHouse6, working closely with Marcene Glover, a champion for the arts in Johnstown and beyond. Jim and Laura are both creators themselves and have been making Artisan Soy Candles for 13 years (which they sell in the store!) and antiquing for even longer.

Walking up the stairs into the store will instantly transport you into the vision of the shop with hanging lights and draperies, accompanied by "half-table shelves" on the wall meticulously decorated with various antiques and Fair Trade goods (See the header photo for context on the shelves!). Jim and Laura describe this vision better than any photo can "We opened the Market to share our love of eclectic treasures and handcrafted quality with friends, neighbors, and visitors to the area. We are also dedicated to improving the lives of those less fortunate in our country and around the world with Fair Trade Goods that bring new and exciting gift items to the area." Fair Trade is very important to the couple and a great number of their items on sale fall into this category. 

(If you're not familiar, Fair Trade provides fair prices for individuals in developing countries for selling their goods in developed countries.)

Each room of the market tells a different story, and Laura and Jim are working on more rooms to add to the feel of the space. The first room you enter past the entrance features a cabinet of their homemade candles and other homemade candle accoutrements. Just to the right, "The Johnstown Room" is a fantastic way to travel through Johnstown's rich history and rebirth. This section features thousands of photos (4,000+ to be exact) of downtown Johnstown during its heyday. They also sell many of these pictures as professional prints, but if you see one you'd like that they don't have, they will gladly have it made for you.

ArtHouse6, the wine tasting room, and the residency areas upstairs are all connected to The Artique Gallery both physically and spiritually. The gallery space displays works by artists both local and otherwise and rotates frequently. Just up the stairs, past the gorgeous stained-glass window are the "Artist Residency Rooms" which provide a space for the wandering artist to take up roots and create something special. Each of these residencies on the second and third floor offer a different look and feel, but all provide the same commodity, a space to create.

The ArtHouse6 section of the building also is home to a frequently hosted event "Wednesdays on Walnut", which offers live music and a chance to shop in the market and take in the arts around the gallery. Details on this event are available on The Artique Gallery Facebook Page.

During your next visit downtown, be sure to include The Artique Gallery Market and ArtHouse6 on your list of places to explore!