A new contemporary art gallery has opened in Kennett Square, adding another fresh dynamic to the town’s renaissance. Hillary Sculthorpe and Sandy Mayer have partnered to open the exciting and eclectic wiLLow on State. Their gallery is a unique space, a vibrant stage for local emerging artists that mixes in handcrafted jewelry, vintage records and books.
Inside the front door, large, kinetic paintings by Josh Ruggieri line the walls. Vinyl records hang as displays in the windows. An antique typewriter sits on a table, waiting to be pecked at. Vintage books with titles such as The Young Sportsman’s Guide to Ice Skating and The Joke Teller’s Joke Book are mixed in with classics. Hand-crafted pottery from two local artists sit next to a vintage reel-to-reel tape machine.
Walk up a short flight of steps, where even the railing is a work of art, and you enter the main gallery. To the left, Cow’s Liver, a giant evocative painting by Maya Winters appears to leap out in 3-D. Other precise paintings by Winters balance out the wall. A reproduction turntable, one of several for sale, has just been cued up to Dog Days are Over by Florence and the Machine.
Matthew Ryan Woolfrey’s mixed media art combines window frames and collage art to create touchable, intricate stories. Rusted shovel heads have been transformed into spirited mythical sculptures by the artist Robert Weeks. Jeff Bell’s industrial iron sculptures hang from the walls.
One corner of the gallery beckons the nostalgic days of record stores. Used classic rock albums such as Led Zeppelin II, The Ramones End of the Century and The Beach Boys Pet Summer are mixed in with new artists such as Adele, My Morning Jacket and Mumford & Sons. Records have proven to be a hit as shoppers continually return to see what vinyl has been updated.
Antique binoculars sit on a table next to hand-crafted jewelry by Lindsey Silberman. More vintage books with titles such as “Don’t Fake It… Say it with Love” and “50 Ways to Love Your Country,” can be found on the shelves.
“Firstly, we are a gallery” that is “approachable and fun,” Hillary Sculthorpe says. The eclectic mix is “an exploration, it’s in my blood. I worked in the fashion world, but always dreamed about opening a gallery.”
Sandy Mayer had recently sold her last venture, Home & Garden Culture outside of Kennett Square, and was looking to create a gallery that could also be a performance arts space. She was introduced to Hillary by Jeff Bell, one of the sculptors who is now featured in the space.
“We each like things that are different, though they blend together nicely,” Hillary says.
Sandy says, “Our plan is to have new art every two months, and we’ll have a new show which corresponds with the First Friday Art Stroll. We’ll change up the artists six times a year.“
The next show is scheduled to open on October 7th, so you have until then to see the current show. Sandy and Hillary are lining up the artwork and the night’s events. They recently booked the local folk band The Hundred Acre Woods to play in the gallery that night. With their plans to update the gallery on a regular basis, each visit to wiLLow on State proposes to give shoppers a fresh look at what’s new in Chester County’s emerging art scene.
wiLLow On State is located at 331 East State Street in Kennett Square. They are open Wednesday and Thursday 10am-6pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-7pm, and Sunday 12pm-5pm. Follow them on Facebook too, by clicking here.
