Two new galleries that highlight local artists are on the way to Front Street in downtown Wilmington this year, one retail and the other educational.

Michelle Reinhold Conely is opening Going Local Artisan Gifts at 208 N. Front St. in February, while Expo 216, described as a specialty museum that focuses on social action, is expected to open this spring at 216 N. Front St.

Conely, a Wilmington resident, is moving her store from Raleigh. While the new Going Local space is smaller (about 1,200 square feet) than the Raleigh store, the Front Street location in a prominent downtown spot is a lot better, and she doesn't have to commute to get there, Conely said Thursday. 

A former real estate appraiser who makes new jewelry out of vintage pieces, Conely at one time had a vendor space in Tinkled Pink, a gift store at Lumina Station on Eastwood Road.

The focus of Going Local, in Wilmington as it was in Raleigh, is to offer items made by local and state artists, she said.

“My heart’s all about local,” Conely said.

She said she’s got 35 vendors from the Raleigh store already lined up to have their work featured at Going Local in Wilmington. The store will have a soft opening Feb. 1 with a grand opening party scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12. 

Expo 216, coming to a space next door to Going Local, is expected to open later this year, possibly by this spring, said Jared Sales, gallery liaison for Expo 216. The three-story building, which has undergone extensive renovations in recent months, is owned by Linda Look.

Expo 216 Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Sales said the main focus of the Expo 216 gallery, which will have exhibits on the first two floors of the building, will be educating visitors about environmental and social issues through features that include interactive elements and the work of local artists.
 
“Our first exhibit is going to be on ocean plastics. It’s basically about how to reduce your environmental impact and plastic footprint,” Sales said Thursday.

The ocean plastic exhibit, which will include pieces from local artists and dress designers that reflect the theme, will be on display at the gallery for nine months, Sales said.  

Expo 216 and Going Local are included in the line-up for this year’s Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, administered by the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County. The 2016 series kicks off from 6 to 9 p.m. (the usual time) this Friday and features art openings, artist demonstrations, entertainment and refreshments, according to a news release from the arts council.

““We are fortunate to have such a large concentration of galleries in downtown Wilmington,” said Rhonda Bellamy, executive director of the arts council, in the release. 

A full list of the galleries involved in Fourth Friday Gallery Nights is available on the council’s website.