Free little art galleries arrive in MetroWest, fostering community connection

SUDBURY — View art. Take art. Leave art.

Several free little art galleries throughout the country follow this mantra.

Last year, this whimsical idea became popular with three locations in MetroWest — Sudbury, Natick and Southborough — that make art a fun bonding experience.

“My biggest passion is… bringing art to the community and making it not so high-brow and everyone can be involved,” said Bethany Shaw, a freelance graphic designer and seven-year member of the Sudbury Art Association.

A gallery was installed in May outside the Goodnow Library, an idea that was about four years in the making. 

Initially, Shaw was inspired by free little libraries that were appearing around the country and wanted to create something similar for art. But nothing followed through. 

Inspiration struck last fall, when Shaw read an article about a free little art gallery in the Pacific Northwest and started following a gallery in Natick.

One day, while volunteering at the makerspace in the Goodnow Library in Sudbury, Shaw mentioned the idea to the makerspace coordinator and library director. Both were eager to create it and host the gallery.

Within a month, the installation was built and “everybody was so excited about it… after four years of hemming and hawing, it came together in a month just because we mentioned it at the library,” Shaw said.

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Anna Ryan — an artist and art educator who teaches at the Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University — met Shaw and jumped on board with the project through volunteering at the makerspace.

“(The gallery) is really just for everybody and I’ve always loved the idea of art for all,” Ryan said. “It brings a little bit of joy to the community.”

When the gallery is looking a bit empty, Shaw and Ryan enjoy contributing their own art.

“I find it really freeing and… normally when it would have been in a pile collecting dust somewhere, I just stick it in as I go by,” Shaw said. “I keep a box in my car of art that people have given me to put in the gallery.”

When people of all ages and skill sets contribute, “that’s part of the magic of the free little art gallery,” Ryan said. 

A fun, welcoming gathering space

The artistic duo encourage the accessibility of art and want to change the way people define the word.

“It’s fun using the word 'gallery' because I feel that can be an intimidating word and only established artists have their work up in a gallery,” Ryan said. “It’s really nice to diffuse that meaning and turn it into a fun, welcoming gathering space.”

Anyone is welcome to take and leave art, but here are some guidelines: pieces can't be larger than 4-by-4 inches, they must be handmade, and patrons must be respectful of the art and gallery. 

But, “the biggest guideline is to enjoy it,” Shaw said.

If people do not live in Sudbury but wish to share art, send it to the Sara Sherman NOW Lab, 21 Concord Road, Sudbury, MA 01776.

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The gallery received a $775 grant from the Sudbury Cultural Council to create free art kits.

Every couple of months, Shaw and Ryan plan to make about 100 kits with different themes that go to local food pantries, libraries and other free little galleries as well — a part of the public art project Take and Create.

They also make their own kits — filling envelopes with scrap paper, colored pencils, and other donated supplies. Children or anyone who wishes to tap into their creative side can find the free art kits and supplies in the gallery. 

Shaw is also one of the first artists to contribute to the Natick gallery. She then reached out to Denise Girardin to help make it a reality in Sudbury.

Girardin — a photographer who also has a studio where she creates “a little bit of everything” in downtown Natick — founded the Natick gallery alongside Ginger McEachern, who owns Five Crows Gallery.

Girardin noticed a lot of the galleries were in front of homes, but wanted to host such an art-sharing experience at a public place.

After approval from the Morse Institute Library, McEachern’s husband built the miniature gallery, “and it just took off,” Girardin said.

'Art in a box'

“This would give artists an opportunity to put their art in a box and make art more attainable to people that don’t necessarily buy art… it just seemed like a perfect fit,” she said.

A core group of artists and volunteers keep an eye on the gallery daily — keeping it clean and ensuring artwork is always stocked. One of Girardin’s favorite aspects of being part of the gallery is connecting with passersby.

“(When visitors) say look what I found… my mother just died and this picture of a bluebird and bluebirds were her favorite thing,” she said. “That kind of thing happens so often and it feels really good to be a part of that.”

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Some galleries, such as those in Sudbury and Natick, came about because of the Little Free Library movement, which was started by Todd H. Bol in 2009 as a memorial to his mother. Today, there are more than 150,000 free little libraries. 

Girardin said the project is “absolutely an inspiration” that helped create the free little art galleries. A couple years ago, she was among the artists who helped paint one of the free library boxes in South Natick.

“It’s just like a little free library, (except) instead of taking books and putting books in you put art in and take it out,” she said.

Social media's role

Girardin said the pandemic helped start the movement because people could not go into libraries or galleries to see art.

However, the power of social media should not be downplayed.

“What is really touching is if someone went to the gallery and posted a picture of that piece and told the story of why they chose it — that’s so special, just so special,” Girardin said. “Instagram and Facebook have been huge in making this happen.”

Similar to the Sudbury gallery, the one in Natick will occasionally offer free art supplies — such as jewelry beads — to the public, donated by artists and volunteers.

The two galleries would like to collaborate in the future — potentially for a community kindness or holiday-themed projects, Shaw said.

“A lot of people feel like they can’t take anything if they didn’t put anything in and that’s one thing we always try to dispel," Girardin said. "You can put your hand in there and take whatever speaks to you."