Flea market gets an ‘artful’ touch at Springfield gallery

The Gallery at the VAULT, the Vermont state craft center in downtown Springfield, is going to hold a fundraiser in an artful way. The nonprofit group is having its own flea market, selling donated items in an effort to shore up its bottom line in these tough economic times.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20110530/NEWS02/705309956

Published May 30, 2011 in the Rutland Herald

Flea market gets an ‘artful’ touch at Springfield gallery

By SUSAN SMALLHEER

Diane Kemble, a member of the board of Gallery at the VAULT in Springfield, sorts through donations for an upcoming fundraiser.
Photo: Susan Smallheer / Staff photo

SPRINGFIELD — The Gallery at the VAULT, the Vermont state craft center in downtown Springfield, is going to hold a fundraiser in an artful way. The nonprofit group is having its own flea market, selling donated items in an effort to shore up its bottom line in these tough economic times.

The gallery, which won the designation as a state craft center two years ago, had its best-ever Christmas season, according to Melody Reed, a member of the VAULT’s board.

VAULT stands for visual art using local talent, and it also features a large bank vault, dating from its days as a bank. The gallery also offers classes and exhibits.

Despite the record Christmas season, frugality appeared to set in after December, and things are very slow economically, said Diane Kemble, a board member who came up with the idea of having an artistic (mostly) flea market.

The ArtFull Flea Market will be held next weekend, June 3 and 4, and will be held in the space underneath the gallery on Main Street. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If the weather is nice, there will be spill-over in the alley outside the gallery, Kemble said.

The downtown space is best known locally for a group of Springfield men who gather there several times a week for coffee and talk, led by Alan Pinders, who ran Furman’s Department Store before it went out of business several years ago.

“We cleaned it up,” Kemble said of the downstairs space, which is cool and smells of coffee, in recognition of its years as the informal coffee shop. The gallery has held art classes there as well in the summer months, Reed said.

Kemble and Reed on Thursday afternoon were sorting through boxes of donated items in preparation of the flea market.

There was a decided artistic flair among the donations, whether it was art books, books of art postcards, art supplies or artistic jewelry. There was a beautiful ceramic birdfeeder and old and new picture frames, masks, baskets and mugs.

“We’ve got a bunch of cool hats, and lots of jewelry,” said Kemble.

Kemble said she was donating some nice jewelry she had, but never wore. “I’d just as soon give it up for a good cause,” she said.

The group is not accepting clothing for the flea market. “It’s not a yard sale,” Kemble said.

The gallery is still accepting donations, and people may drop off the donations during the hours the gallery is open, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., or people may call 885-7111 for pickup for larger items.

The gallery has other fundraising efforts planned, including the Second Annual Palate to Palette on Aug. 14, at the Inn at Weathersfield. That fundraiser is a combination of food, music and an auction of donated items.

“Our income is pretty much what we raise,” said Kemble.

Reed said the group is also applying for grants, but she said competition is “fierce.”

“Everybody’s hurting,” she said.