HONESDALE, PA — Having one’s own home can make a tremendous difference. For the Wayne County Arts Alliance (WCAA), it means enough space to expand exhibits and hold classes. It can make the building handicapped-accessible and light up the artwork in the way the group always wanted.

But make no mistake, the WCAA is profoundly grateful for what it had: Beautiful gallery space on the second floor of a Main Street building and someone to be on the premises when the group could not. “It was an advantageous symbiotic relationship,” said WCAA executive director Janet Gaglione.

Now, after months of renovation work, the WCAA is ready to share the building with the community. The grand opening of its new home at 959 Main St. will be held on Friday, June 23 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.; a ribbon cutting will be held at 6 p.m.

Gaglione paused in the middle of her work—scraping paint off a window—to talk about what happened since the building became theirs and what they plan for the future.

“We’ve done major renovations,” she said. “We drywalled, we replaced the lighting—there’s more light to show the art.

“We have some really good people,” she continued. Start with John Dyser, the contractor, who was ready to start as soon as the closing took place.

Northeast MedEQuip donated the ramps so anyone, everyone, can come in. (The bathroom, by the way, is handicapped accessible too.) “That’s important to us,” Gaglione said. “We want to be inclusive for everyone.”

Sherwin Williams donated paint. Home Depot donated parts and held a work day. Agway donated. So many businesses stepped up and helped, she said.

The downstairs will feature one- to three-person shows. There will be more exhibits upstairs, starting with “Abstraction,” which also opens on June 23, with a reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, see box at right.

The arts alliance relies on volunteers. “Projects are based on which members are able to step up and lead them,” she said, so future plans depend on who is available to help. But summer will definitely feature the 20th Artists’ Studio Tour on July 7, 8 and 9. The Great Wall, now in its eighth year, is up. Each work in the 2023 Summer Art Project, “Magical Homes for Fairies and Gnomes,” was created by a local artist and is currently displayed at a sponsoring business.

But back to the grand opening. Celebration activities on June 23 include the public opening of “Abstractions” and a studio-tour preview exhibit.

A food truck will be on site courtesy of Turano Insurance from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Farm Arts Collective ensemble of stiltwalkers and musicians will perform at 5:30 p.m.

None of this would have happened without the generosity of the community, Gaglione said.

“The Wayne County Community Foundation [from the Florence Longmire Treat fund] gave us a matching grant… and that’s the only way this was possible,” she said.

She expressed her gratitude to many people and organizations. “The Honesdale National Bank, the Hickory Hill Foundation, and the A.M. Skier family,” plus Sue Foster and the multitude of smaller donations that funded the purchase of the building and the renovations that began as soon as they had closed. (Full disclosure: this reporter donated too.)

“We’re very proud and excited,” Gaglione said. “We have the opportunity to do so many things.”

Learn more at waynecountyartsalliance.org.