By: Carrie Heath, October 1, 2024
The Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center is pleased to announce that the Main Gallery exhibit for October will be a full display of Arthur Gmeiner’s own work to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the opening of the center. Did you know that the building houses a permanent collection of more than 400 of Mr. Gmeiner’s oil paintings? The exhibit will open on Saturday, October 12th with a reception from 2-4PM. The reception is free and open to the public, who are invited to come enjoy light refreshments provided by members of the Wellsboro Art Club. This exhibit will remain on display until Sunday, November 3rd.
Arthut J. Gmeiner was born on a farm near Liberty in 1884 to German immigrant parents who worked in the farming and lumber industries. Arthur graduated from Mansfield Normal School (now Commonwealth University: Mansfield) and began his teaching career at a one-room schoolhouse in Nauvoo. In 1919 Arthur moved to Denver, Colorado and purchased the Parks School of Business with his brother. When he retired from teaching, Mr. Gmeiner devoted himself to painting, creating over 200 artworks in 30 years.
Mr. Gmeiner then began looking for a place to house and display his collection. He considered the Denver area, but decided he would rather have it near his family’s roots in the Twin Tiers. Mr. Gmeiner offered the center to many towns in the area, and Wellsboro’s council enthusiastically agreed. The land behind the Green Free Library was donated by the library board, who agreed to be stewards of the center. Construction on the unique Mid-Century Modern style building started in the spring of 1969 and it opened on October 1, 1969. The center was a great success and very quickly expanded with the addition of the Studio space in 1975. This is used for classes and workshops, as well as a meeting space for groups. It also contains the storage area for Arthur Gmeiner’s collection which continued to grow. Mr. Gmeiner continued painting in his “primitive” style until he died in November of 1985 at the age of 101.
When the center opened, Mr. Gmeiner stated, “This modest, but attractive building is here, and the fund has been set up to maintain it through the years. Down deep in my heart I present it to you in sacred memory of my father and mother, a sister, and two brothers, all of them now departed.” Mr. Gmeiner never married or had children, so this center serves as a legacy for his entire family. Over the past 55 years, it has enriched the Wellsboro community with art, music, poetry and more. We invite you to come see our founder’s work and appreciate his extraordinary gift to the community.
The Gmeiner is open from 12-6PM Tuesdays through Sundays and is located at 134 Main Street in Wellsboro behind the Green Free Library. Admission to the gallery is free.