New art gallery opens in Medina

Photos by Tom Rivers – Kim Keil, left, and Noelle Wiedemer opened Wide Angle Art Gallery at 525 Main St. The site will be a showcase for artists, including student art work, and also will offer workshops for painting, photography, science in art and other topics.

Pat Curry created this piece of artwork, “Fly Away,” as well as many of the paintings in the debut exhibits at Wide Angle Art Gallery.

Wide Angle Art Gallery celebrated its debut on Saturday with work from four artists showcased, including this dress made by Pat Curry from Wegmans receipts.

MEDINA – The arts scene just found a new venue in Orleans County with the opening of Wide Angle Art Gallery at 525 Main St.

Kim Keil and Noelle Wiedemer opened the gallery on Saturday to an enthusiastic crowd. The gallery displayed works from four artists and promoted upcoming workshops, including one for children ages 10 to 14 on acrylic painting. That class will be Oct. 4.

Keil teaches chemistry at University of Buffalo and Wiedemer teaches in the museum studies program at Buffalo State. They are accustomed to the art scene in bigger cities. But they see potential in a gallery and art-related workshop in small-town Medina.

“We’ve watched all the new stores pop up and the ones that are established,” Wiedemer said. “It’s fantastic.”

Medina is drawing media attention from outside the area for its downtown business revival in a historic district, Wiedemer said.

“People know where Medina is and they are willing to make the trek out here,” she said.

While Medina has added new businesses in recent years, an art gallery seemed to be missing from Main Street, Wiedemer said.

The two-story location includes an upstairs workshop that could be used for one-day classes or sessions that lasts several weeks. Wiedemer said visiting artists will lead some of the programs.

“We have the space and it won’t just be limited to Medina,” she said. “We want to be a Western New York hub.”

Wiedemer and Keil both said Medina is nestled in a beautiful area that will draw artists and students to see the water, orchards and other lush landscapes.

“The seasons are gorgeous,” Wiedemer said. “We’re very lucky out here.”

For more on the gallery, visit wideangleartgallery.com.