In Harrisburg’s tight-knit arts community, Andrew Guth may be one of the best known artists and gallery owners.
His work has appeared in countless shows, and, for nine years, he co-owned Mantis Collective Gallery.
This month, Guth will start an entirely new venture, an art space called North Gallery, which he will own and run himself.
“At Mantis, we had a more contemporary focus, but also pulled in traditional work,” he said. “This time, my focus will be purely contemporary art.”
North Gallery will set up in the former Gallery Blu, an admired Midtown gallery that had a distinguished, if relatively short, life.
Guth said that, as Mantis was closing, he approached the owner of Gallery Blu, Christina Heinzelman-Jones, about reviving that gallery, which has sat empty at 1633 N. 3rd St. for more than a year.
She declined, but said she’d love to have another gallery there.
“I told him that I couldn’t do it, but it would be great if he could use that space,” said Heintzelman-Jones, who, by coincidence, bought her first work of art after moving to Harrisburg from Mantis Gallery.
Guth jumped at the opportunity, calling artists he knows both locally and nationally to put together a group exhibit for his opening during this month’s 3rd in The Burg on June 15.
“We will be regionally and locally based,” Guth said of his artist selection. “But we’ll be reaching out to people in larger cities, too, to bring in some fresh faces.”
As a former educator, he also plans to offer summer art camps for children.
Guth has been a presence on the Harrisburg arts scene since arriving from Philadelphia in 2003.
He quickly teamed up with artist Tara Chickey to found Mantis, one of the few galleries to feature mostly modern art. Their first gallery was on North Street before moving to temporary space on Verbeke Street, then to the heart of Midtown next to Midtown Scholar Bookstore.
Along the way, Guth lived at several places on North Street, which served as inspiration for the name of his new gallery.
“I wanted a name that was simple, clean, and easy to remember,” he said. “Also, North Gallery had a contemporary feel.”
As an art world veteran, Guth knows that a gallery is challenging, perhaps even more so than other small businesses,
But he’s determined to show that Harrisburg can support a contemporary art space by using all the tools, knowledge and connections he’s made over the years.
He also wants to make a statement about his commitment to his adopted city—and show that, despite the picture painted by local media, Harrisburg is dynamic, full of people who want to make the city a better place.
“I’ve always admired people who step up to the plate and make that commitment,” he said. “I hope that other people take the initiative to do whatever they can.”
