It was one of those funny moments where we just felt like something really special fell in our laps. It started a couple months ago when the Hubs was knocking on doors and shaking hands and letting people in the community know that there was another photographer in town. He’d been to a couple of neighborhoods and wanted to introduce himself to some other local photographers in case they ever needed a second shooter or wanted someone to refer clients they didn’t want to.

HH moseyed down Market Street and nearly hit the waterfront when he realized he should’ve passed the studio by that point. He headed back up the street again, and realized the only photography studio in the downtown area had closed. (The photographers there had decided to begin shooting and doing their studio work from home.)

Around that time, he also moseyed into (he was doing a lot of moseying) a big storefront in the downtown area called the Inner Banks Artisan Center. ‘Course we would’ve spelled it “Centre,” but to each his own. The IBAC {sorry, I am just not going to keep typing that out, even though the abbreviation sounds like “I-Back” when you read it} houses a large communal gallery space in the front section of the store with gorgeous paintings and watercolors and sculptures and pictures and crafts. The second and third sections of the store house individual gallery/studio spaces for a number of artists who work in several different mediums. The last section of the building (it’s a rather big building) is a coffeehouse, where the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association plays on a regular basis, and other types of artsy events are held from time to time.

About the time the Hubs moseyed into the IBAC, a large gallery space was about to become available because the art supply store that it had previously housed was closing. And the Hubs asked what likelihood there might be that he, as a photographer, could take a space in the building. It’s rather amusing to recall that he was actually told his chances were not very good at all, until he pulled out his iPad and began sharing some of his work. The tone changed quickly, and the Possibility Train rolled away from the {imagination?} station, chugging fast.

He came home and we talked about the idea of opening a gallery. The train was rolling with the idea that in our own little space we could 1) sell some of the Hubs’ fine art photography 2) advertise his photographic services, and display images from previous photo shoots as examples 3) potentially host photography workshops in the coffee shop, for people interested in getting more familiar with their cameras and the magical medium of photography, 4) sell other crafty stuff I might like to make just for fun and 5) somehow use all this to be a blessing to our local community, and our global community.

There were more ideas after that, which included purchasing a printer so that we could print a lot of our photos and canvases ourselves, and this might also be another stream of income — printing for others. And when the ideas just kept coming, and my Dad was willing to get involved to help make it possible, and there was clearly space available upstairs for the Hubs to potentially use as studio space, the Possibility Train started chugging really fast, and it seemed like it might just pull into Reality Station.

So we prayed, and thought about it and talked about it and thought about it and asked for opinions about it and thought about it and prayed.

And sure ‘nough, it seemed like i’twere the right thing to do.

So we did what any sensible people would do. We signed a contract, ordered a big printer, and got on a plane for a wedding (and a month) in South Africa. But we dreamed and talked and thought and planned, and here we are, back on this side of the pond.

And this morning, we went into the gallery space where we’d hung a coming soon and a few example photos about all of the art supply stuff that had to be cleared out, and we spackled six gabillion holes, cleaned the walls, put up painters’ tape, and got ready to jump into what feels like a bit of a risky painting idea but I’m really stoked about it. {Because it was my idea, of course.}

So here’s a before shot, at the beginning of Day One via instagram:

If you just said Shew-whee, they got some werk ta do! you’re right. But it’s exciting at the same time.

So! I’ll bring you along for the ride, through pictures, as we transform this space into the Quiver Tree Photography gallery. But I was wondering, if you’re near enough to wee Washington, do you think you’ll come visit in person? Because that would be extra special.

Let me know in the comments?

{And care to guess what color those walls are about to get painted?}

xCC