Artitudes in Atrium closing in December

After nearly two decades of giving artists a place to show and sell their work, Artitudes in The Atrium Mall is closing.

Kris Shaw, who spearheaded the creation of the artist's cooperative gallery with Mary Nault in 2004, said it will close toward the end of December.

"It's sad, but we're down to too few artists to pay the rent," she said.

Ginny Streeper, one of the founding members, said it first opened in the former U.S. post office and federal courthouse on the 300 Block of Third Avenue, then called Havre Heritage Center and since renamed Havre Historic Post Office. It later moved to the ground floor of The Atrium before moving to its location on the second floor of the mall.

"We had a lot more people then," she said.

Streeper said the group, which had 30 members when it started, is down to four active members, herself, Shaw, Nault and Linda Warneke.

She said the loss of the gallery is too bad both for the artists and for a place to look at and shop for art.

"I always like to say it's the gift that lasts," she added. "It's not something you use up or throw away."

Two decades of showing and selling art

The gallery and cooperative has had a busy existence until the last few years. It held special events and activities and special shows - like a display of art by fourth-graders - and had regular shows with featured artists, including receptions where people could meet and visit with the artists while looking at their work.

Shaw said they plan to hold a final reception in December but the date had not yet been set last week.

Streeper said the numbers have dwindled over the years, making it harder to pay the rent and to staff the gallery. Cooperative members took turns at the desk, which worked well with 30 but with four makes it a lot of work.

Shaw said some people left the gallery after they learned it wasn't a good fit for them, but others moved away and some have died.

The exact closing date isn't set yet, and Streeper said they plan to have a "super sale" on artwork in the gallery before it closes.

Shaw said while she thinks it is sad it has to close, the gallery had a good run and it has been a good thing for the artists and community.

She said Craig Erickson, who was with Bear Paw Development Corp. at the time and worked with the founding members to create the not-for-profit incorporated cooperative, asked her what she thought success would look like.

"I said, 'Craig, if we're here in five years, we're successful," Shaw said.