NEWS

Main Street shop hopes to create arts district

Nancy Daly
ndaly@communitypress.com


Kelly and Josh Faust are part of the ownership team of the family-owned The Artists’ Brush at 267 Main St. in Florence. Along with Josh’s parents, Chris and Teresa Coors, they are reaching out to other arts shops and businesses to hold monthly “Holidays on Main,” starting Saturday.

FLORENCE – A family-owned shop in the city, The Artists' Brush, is taking initiative to launch an arts district on a historic half-mile stretch of Main Street.

Chris and Teresa Coors, of Florence, along with their son Josh Faust and daughter-in-law Kelly Faust, opened the shop about six months ago at 267 Main St.

A tastefully renovated gallery and working studio, The Artists' Brush features drawings by both Chris Coors and Kelly Faust, plus samples of their extensive airbrush offerings and illustration and design work.

Since opening the shop, Chris Coors has been talking with other businesses and arts-related businesses. He came up with the idea of "Holidays on Main," a series of monthly events that would be fun for customers and that would raise the profile of businesses on Main Street.

The first event is Saturday, Oct. 25, from noon to 6 p.m. The first 50 children age 12 and under at The Artists' Brush can paint a pumpkin for free. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. There's plenty of parking behind The Artists' Brush, which shares a building with Smith & Elliott Family Dentistry and is next door to the former Florence Fire Station No. 1. Coors recommends walking down Main Street to stop by other participating businesses:

• Mudlark Pottery Studio

• Billy Tackett Studios

• Keith Klein Art Studio

• Florence Music Academy

• Little Songbird Music Studio

• Yesterday's Cafe and Tea Room

• Stringtown Grill

• Stringtown Barber Shop

• and Papa Dino's.

"I'm over the moon about it," said Monalisa Miller, owner of Mudlark Pottery, 225 Main St.

"I've been thinking about how to make it happen and (Chris Coors has) taken the ball and run with it."

"We want to get foot traffic," said Theresa Coors, chief financial officer for The Artists' Brush. "Everybody is really excited about this. It's a very unique part of town," Josh Faust said.

The efforts of the Coors and Faust family have drawn praise by city officials.

"It was a dream of former Mayor Evelyn Kalb that Main Street would grow and develop into a wonderful 'Main Street Experience' for the community," Mayor Diane E. Whalen said.

"The energy of the redevelopment was sidetracked with the fire that destroyed the Bessler Building at the corner of Shelby and Main and with the relocation of the YMCA.

"It is exciting to see a renewed effort to bring back that energy and hope of creating an arts district. The city fully supports the efforts of Chris Coors and The Artists' Brush to bring the Main Street artists, businesses and the community together to experience 'Holidays on Main,'" Whalen said.

"The Main Street area has a long history of some very successful businesses, even before Florence was incorporated as a city in the 1800s, with the mix of small professional offices, unique retail and dining, and first-rate senior living," said Josh Wice, the city's business and community development director.

"Growing up, the Main Street area was home to my favorite restaurant, my dentist, and my auto insurance agent – I even deejayed a wedding reception for one of my high school Spanish teachers at the then location of Florence Baptist Church – and my other high school Spanish teacher even owns a business on Main Street now," Wice said.

"I think the community is appreciative of the efforts of small businesses to rally around the community and to bring in new customers to support all of the businesses in the area."