By JOE MEYER

If you’re able to get to the Westerville Art Hop, don’t miss the chance to check out the Daylight Artist Collective Studios & Gallery, 9 E. College Ave.

Normally open to the public only by appointment or for events, Daylight will be open from 1-5 p.m. Saturday, April 20 for the Art Hop. The gallery’s fifth juried art show, “Awakenings,” will be on display during the Hop, featuring the works of 30 artists. (We’ll get to more on that later.)

You can browse the show, and also get a peek at the super cool Daylight Artist Collective studio itself. The artwork of its 10 resident artists also will be on display and for sale.

Daylight occupies the entire third floor of Uptown’s historic Robinson Block building, 2 S. State St., one of the oldest buildings in Uptown. It was constructed in the early 1870s and today houses the Good Vines Winery on its first floor.

Around the corner from State Street entrance to Good Vibes, you’ll find a narrow door at 9 E. College, next to the Old Skool Skate Shop. Through that door and up two flights of old wooden stairs, you’ll find Daylight on the right, home to the working studios of 10 local artists.

That third floor wasn’t part of the original Robinson Block. In 1874, owner George W. Robinson, a Mason, agreed to add the third floor for the Blendon #339 Masonic Lodge. With a 14-foot ceiling, hardwood floor and a raised outer circumference, it housed the Masons in Westerville from 1874 until 1931, when the lodge built its Masonic Temple at 130 S. State St.

The “Daylight” in the Collective’s name comes from the beautiful natural light that floods the studio from large vertical windows on three sides – facing north to College Avenue, east to State Street, and south toward Slaughter Avenue, overlooking the two-story Schneider’s Bakery building.

Shared space, shared inspiration

Founding artist Janine Crum moved to Westerville in 2019 with her husband and their four children. When she learned of the space coming available in June 2023, she pitched in with Janelle Hallett and eventually four other local women artists, to figure out how to cover the lease and utility bills. The Daylight Artist Collective was born.

Crum said she and Hallett had been looking for studio space, and the Collective works on a philosophy to not “nickel and dime” artists. It doesn’t take a cut of sales, from the resident artists or those who participate in its shows. Group members feed off each other for creativity and share back-office tips on how to handle sales, the books, even where to find framing.

“It’s like being at art school,” Crum said. “You have your friends. … Everyone is so talented. … You just want to show up.”

“It’s shared momentum,” said Geri Larson, another Daylight resident artist.

Collective members quickly recognized what awesome space they had created on the third floor of the historic Uptown building.

“Everybody was like, ‘Ah, I want to hang out here,’” Crum said. Soon they started monthly social nights and they also host workshops, sketch nights and more – based on whatever the artists are up to and into.

“It is thriving. I feel like a lot of people maybe don’t know that,” said Crum, the Arts Council of Westerville’s 2021 Emerging Artist of the Year. Now with a waiting list of artists wanting to share the studio space, Daylight is excited to throw open its doors to the public for the Westerville Art Hop, she said.

Daylight’s spring show, ‘Awakenings’

Based on the theme of spring and awakening, the juried art show features the work of 30 local artists. It runs from an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, through a closing reception from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, May 19. It will be open for the Art Hop from 1-5 p.m. April 20.

Participating artists will get 100 percent of the proceeds from sales.

Featured artists in the “Awakenings” show are: Ann Aeschbury, Shana Arens, Claude Berry, Lane Billings, Pat Carbone, Marvin Daniels, Erica Darlin, Thad DeVassie, Liz Ecklar, Stef Emeigh, Janet Fedorenko, Mark Fohl, Mandy Knapp, Melissa Law, Minnie Lucas, Stefani McDade, Colleen McDonnell. Alexander Metcalf, Tara Nicodemus, Lisa O’Connell, Amy Raubenolt. Kathy Rausch. Brad Rodstrom, Jessica Schiering, Hilary Stone, Sarie Waseem, Lucas Webb. Lori Wells. Karin Weston, and Sierra Wiley.

Other locations and artists on the April 20 Westerville Art Hop

The Art Hop will turn much of Uptown into an art studio on Saturday, April 20. The event is free and open to the public, with no tickets required.

Though the Daylight Artist Collective and David Myers Art Studio & Gallery are the only two formal galleries in Uptown, artists will set up their easels at 22 other locations across the district, where they will create new original art and display select works for sale. Myers also is hosting a juried art show, “The Joye of Spring.”

All 10 of the Daylight Collective’s resident artists, plus three of those participating in “Awakenings” are among those who will set up in businesses across Uptown from 1-5 p.m. April 20. The full list of locations and artists:

A Gal Named Cinda Lou, 20 N. State St. – Joanna Hammer

A Twist On Olives, 44 N. State St. – Lisa Edwards

Amish Originals Furniture Company, 38 N. State St. – Khadija Adil

Asterisk Supper Club, 14 N. State St. – Bryce Collins

Birdie Books, 74-C N. State St. – Hannah Maltry

Blend Candle Company, 16 E. Main St. – Lee Ann Lander

Blue Turtle at Uptown on Main, 64 E. Main St. – Elyse McCabe

Deja Vu Resale Boutique, 11 N. State St. – Joy Selby Cain

Edwin Loy Home, 46 N. State St. – Judy Ruehrmund

Fattey Beer, 79 S. State St. – Richard McKinley III

Fusian, 79 S. State St. – Kathryn Smithson

Good Vibes Winery, 2 S. State St. – Mary Van Meter

Java Central Coffee Roasters, 20-B S. State St. – Don Wilkiins

Kurt McCurdy-Howard Hanna HER, 42 N. State St. – Richard Leavy

Megan Lee Designs, 20-22 E. College Ave. – Kathy Rausch

Meza Wine Shop, 48 N. State St. – Evan Williams

My Cousin’s Cottage, 16 E. College Ave. – Jessica Schiering

David Myers Art Studio & Gallery, 7 W. Main St., Kathleen Norris

North High Brewing, 240 S. State St. – Lisa O’Connell

Pure Roots Boutiques, 18 N. State St. – Noelle Shearer

Stone & Sparrow Apparel, 34 N. State St. – Lindsay Ciulla

Westerville Antiques, 2 N. State St. – Sandra Brandt

Whit’s Frozen Custard, 46 N. State St. – Hilary Stone

CAPTIONS:

ABOVE: Janine Crum, founder of the Daylight Artist Collective, 9 E. College Ave., stands amid some of the artwork in the gallery’s spring juried art show, “Awakenings.”

BELOW:

The resident artists of Uptown’s Daylight Artist Collective Studios & Gallery (from left): Brenda Ferguson, Janelle Hallett, Erin Wallace, Kara Chapin, Megan Brown, Elle Rachell, Janine Crum, Gerilyn Larsen, Lindsay Ferguson, and Elizabeth Beattie. (Provided photo.)

Daylight resident artist Geri Larson works in her space in the studios Thursday, April 11.

Even on a cloudy day, natural light floods the Daylight Artist Collective Studios & Gallery.

The Daylight Artist Collective occupies the whole third floor of the historic Robinson Block building at the southeast corner of State Street and College Avenue. Reach it through this door on College, and up two flights of steps.

Historical plaque on the Robinson Block building (State Street side): The Robinson Block Building is one of 37 recognized across Uptown through historic plaques placed through a program of Uptown Westerville Inc. The Good Vibes Winery now occupies the ground floor of the building, which housed a drug store from the early 1870s through the closing of Brinkman’s Rexall Pharmacy in 1994.