Jul 29, 2007
Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce officials were on hand to help celebrate the opening of The WG Handyside Gallery of Fine Arts in Wyoming. The gallery is a market driven community based retail art supply and gallery dedicated to the advocacy and awareness of fine art, literature, philosophy, local history, historical preservation, and the “art of living.”
When ask why she decided to take on such a venture, gallery owner Dianne Burnham said that as an artist herself she found it difficult to get professional art supplies in the area and she sees her store filling this need. The store has an array of the highest quality art supplies offered at prices nearly 40% off list price. Burnham added that WG Handyside is not just a store; it is also a gallery where she wants to showcase the local talent. Burnham’s store is also part of one of her overall goals of revitalizing the “Gaslight Village.”
Dianne is a graduate of the Microenterprise Assistance Program, and as she stated, “it is a great program. Jim Grillo is an amazing instructor and Louise Wadsworth is a wonderful Program Director. As I went through the program I absorbed the information like a sponge and it gave me the framework to put my business plan together. I want to thank Wyoming County for making this program available.” Dianne is also a Board Member for the Wyoming County Tourist Promotion Agency. She feels that the abundance of rich historical and natural resources make tourism a lead industry in Wyoming County, and sees the growth and development of Microenterprise as the key to success, providing tremendous opportunity for business growth.
The store and gallery are located at 7 S. Academy St. Rt. 19 in Wyoming and open Monday - Saturday 10:00am - 5:00pm and will remain open until 6:00pm on Fridays.
“It is always great to see a graduate of the Microenterprise Assistance Program able to take what they learned through the class and apply it to creation of a new business,” stated Chamber Executive Director James Pierce. He continued, “Dianne should be commended as well for her efforts to revitalize the historic village of Wyoming.”