Celebrating 45 Years of Art and Community at 3rd Street Gallery

By Patricia A.L. Ehrensal

Queen Village has long been the epicenter for the creative and unique, so it’s a natural fit to add art galleries amongst the ranks of funky boutiques and nationally recognized restaurants. 3rd Street Gallery is honored to find its home here, and what a warm welcome it’s been over the last four years! But the history of 3rd Street Gallery stretches beyond these years- and its current location.

Passersby of the gallery on 3rd Street (between Bainbridge and South streets) may not realize that on June 15, 3rd Street Gallery will turn 45, making it one of the oldest artist cooperatives in Philadelphia. That’s because the gallery was originally incorporated in 1978 as a women’s cooperative, at the corner of 3rd and Bainbridge Streets, (currently the Queen Village Dental Center), hence the name. In 1995, the cooperative was re-incorporated, expanding the membership to include men. But the gallery would take a little tour of area neighborhoods before settling into its current home.

A Little History of a Long Time

In the early 1990’s, 3rd Street Gallery moved to North 2nd Street to become part of the burgeoning gallery district being established. There, it operated under the name “3rd Street Gallery on 2nd” first at 58 N 2nd, then at 45 N 2nd from 2014-2018. The purpose of the gallery, then and now, is to offer a community and exhibition space for area artists at all stages of their careers.

Fast forward to 2019, 3rd Street Gallery recognized that South Street and its surrounding neighborhoods had the location and the vibe to help the collective welcome even more patrons appreciative of our art. On June 7th that year, we “returned home” taking up residence at 610 S 3rd Street with our first show aptly titled, “Back on 3rd Street.”

Back Home in Queen Village

Since returning, we’ve been warmly welcomed by neighbors; from the South Street Headhouse (SSHD) business district and Queen Village Neighbors Association (QVNA), to locals near and far. It’s been a thrill participating in SSHD events such as the Easter Egg Hunt, Trick-orTreat, Shambles Markets, and the South Street Festival. QVNA has been especially welcoming by including 3rd Street

Gallery in the 2022 and 2023 Tour d’Art experiences.

We knew it was special to be back in Queen Village, but never expected the good vibes here to extend to filmmaking. When a Temple University student approached with her idea for a dark comedy about a gallery owner who takes extreme measures for a good review, we jumped at the chance to offer the space for the setting of “The Appraisal.” The short independent film, written and directed by Theresa Hamilton, premiered at our location in February. We’re looking forward to being highlighted in another project, “Hazy, Hot and Stupid,” an independent film by Michael Macera and Tony McCall, set for filing in June.

Today, artists of our collective include both women and men, ranging in age from late 20’s to octogenarians, with two members of the original womens’ cooperative.

It’s difficult to sum up the type of art you’ll find at any given moment here, because the mediums range from traditional landscapes, still lifes, and portraits; to abstracts and the avant-garde. Exhibited pieces include two- and three-dimensional works, as well as a range of media: oils, pastels, photography, mixed-media, and ceramics.

Time to Celebrate

There are many events planned to mark our historic 45 years. In June, come peruse the exhibits of three of our longest standing members: Kristine Flannery, Carol Albrecty and Conny Parsons. And we are thrilled that the QVNA Tour d’Art is scheduled to be held during our Birthday Week! We will also be hosting a Birthday Party for the Gallery in June and come August, we’ll present a “Past and Present” show, with past members invited to exhibit work alongside current artists.

The gallery is set up in such a way to allow us to showcase individual member artists when you first enter, but also ongoing group exhibits as you make your way through the space. Mark your calendar for the First Friday of each month to see new shows. If Sundays work better for you, plan on visiting the Opening Receptions on the first Sunday of each month. If a particular artist resonates with you, you’re invited to attend any of our Artist Talks and receptions (recorded Artist talks can be found on our website). This guarantees you’ll always find something new to see, so visit often.

The theme of the 3rd Street Gallery is community art; the community artists can create amongst themselves and the community they can weave beyond themselves. It’s an artist-owned and run organization with no paid employees; so for anyone who stops by the gallery, it is an artist who will be answering any questions. When a show needs to be put up or taken down, we roll up our sleeves to get the work done. It’s easy to do these things when you’re operating on the firm belief that art is for everyone. That is why we strive to make art that is accessible physically and financially. The end goal? A place for artists and visitors to engage in the conversations that art can inspire. ■

3rd Street Gallery is located at 610 S 3rd Street. Hours: Fridays 4-7:30 pm, Saturdays 1-5:00 pm, Sundays 12-4 p.m. Join the celebrations of 45 years making art and community! See events at www.3rdstreetgallery.com