This Friday night will mark the grand opening of the Uptown Gallery and Art Studio that provides a place for local artists as well as adults with disabilities to display their art. There will be a gala reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Dr. Robert Smith House.

The Uptown Gallery and Art Studio is located in the former visitor’s center and feature the creative works of local artists and students and space for visiting artists.

More than two years after the doors closed at the Dr. Robert Smith House on North Main Street, new life will be breathed into the historic landmark.

Mayor Deborah Cochran will cut the ribbon at the studio at 5:30 p.m. Wine is being provided by Shelton Vineyards and food will be provided by Mary Planer. Music will be provided by local metal artist Chazz Elstone, who will be playing guitar in the garden behind the house.

The Uptown Gallery, is the second location for The Gallery Group, which opened its first location at 162 W. Pine St. in 2004.

Ann Vaughn, executive director of the Gilmer-Smith Foundation, which owns the Dr. Robert Smith House and Donna Jackson, executive director of the Gallery Group, are both excited about the gallery opening. Jackson noted that the opening will provide not only a benefit to local artists, but to the local economy.

“All of the artists live here, so the money that is spent here, stays in the community,” Jackson said.

Vaughn is pleased with all of the work that has been done by volunteers to improve the property, especially with new paint that she said enhances the home tremendously.

“This is not only a great opportunity for the Gallery Group, but it is also going to spell a rebirth for the Dr. Robert Smith house. Once again its doors will be open to the public and offering beautiful local art as well as visiting artists,” Vaughn said.

Jackson said the gallery is full to capacity and this new location will allow the Gallery Group to expand. A year ago, Jackson said, she had to limit her artists to only three pieces. Now, each artist will be able to display six pieces.

Jackson said the Gallery Group will continue to have a featured artist every month at the Uptown Gallery.

“We have already booked a visiting artist of the month for the rest of the year,” said Jackson.

There is a room set up especially for the art that their adults with disabilities have created. It will be called the special students gallery.

There are 32 local artists who have art on display at the Gallery Group. There are 90 adults with disability students who benefit from the classes offered at the gallery.

“Now we will be able to grow and ask lots more artists to come. This will just enhance the art community. It’s going to give them the venue they have been desperately needing,” Jackson said.

She said everyone at the Gallery Group, including herself, is a volunteer.

“Service to humanity is truly what we represent. Because it’s not about the money, it’s about the service. The whole purpose of starting this was to give adults with disabilities somewhere to go and somewhere to feel important. The arts was a way of doing that. I would never have believed we would have grown to this,” Jackson said.

All of the money to fund the group comes from private contributions and from the sale of the art. Since the Gallery Group is a non-profit, it only makes 10 percent of what the local artists sell. Most of the art supplies for the adults with disabilities come from donations from the community. Teachers volunteer their time at the gallery. The group also is supported by the United Fund of Surry.

In order for artists to display their work at the gallery, they need to submitted three pieces of their work to be juried. If the work is accepted, the artist needs to sign a contract for one year. The artist makes 90 percent of what the piece sells for, but in exchange, they need to volunteer to teach classes or work at the front desk of the gallery.

Vaughn said, “I do believe that our visitors from the past will again visit our doorstep and be impressed with what the gallery has to offer.”

Vaughn said the opening also will give a rebirth to the Robert Smith Memorial Park behind the house. She said the garden was never closed, but hasn’t been used as much since the house closed two years ago.

For more information, call Donna Jackson at 755-6624 or Ann Vaughn at 786-6856.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.