[acx_slideshow name="Young at Art"]

Young at Art is an emporium that offers local, regional, and national art.

Head south on Rt 219 toward the Lewisburg historic district and turn left on E. Washington Street – pass Bella the Corner Gourmet, the Pub on Washington Street, Commonwealth Vintage, and Greenbrier Valley Theatre. Stop just before you get to the Wild Bean Coffee Shop/Thunderbird Taco. To your right is a creative space that was recently home to the WV Fine Artisans Gallery. Just recently, this space reopened as Young at Art, an emporium that offers a combination of local, regional, and national art. You can find clocks made from repurposed golf clubs, handcrafted beard soap, copper money clips, artistic wind chimes, pottery bird cottages, and so much more. 

Merideth Young is the creative force behind this emporium.

Merideth Young, a Lewisburg, WV-based artist, is the creative force behind this emporium. Young is a graduate of Maine College of Art in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Metalsmithing and Jewelry Design. She describes herself as a jeweler, painter, and all-around art maker. She sees her new gallery as a place where she can make and sell her art, as well as showcase other things she loves.

Since 2013, Young has been busy traveling to local craft shows, fairs, and out of state to Atlanta, Florida, and Las Vegas for wholesale art shows. Much of her art is sold in gift shops around the United States. She credits her relationship with Tamarak for this opportunity. Throughout this time, Young has been working out of her home. She says, “I hit my limit of working from home.  My house was literally my studio/workshop.   It was getting ridiculous.  I wanted a studio that wasn’t my living room and why not have a shop in there too.  It’s like a twofer.  When the WV Fines artisans disbanded, I moved in.  It was supposed to happen in April but didn’t for obvious reasons. It’s still a work in progress.”

She tells us, “There are makers from my showroom in Vegas to artists I’ve done craft shows with or people from my Black Rock Gallery days.” From 2004-2010, Young owned an art gallery at Wintergreen Resort in Virginia. This is where she fell in love with being a gallery owner.  She made things for her shop and sold works from people and makers she loved. Young was also one of the originators and a manager of the WV Fine Artisans Gallery. Describing the new emporium, Young says, “we have handmade baskets, jewelry, glass, art, pottery gifts.  It’s not just art anymore as with the WV Fine Artisans Gallery. We now have clocks made from repurposed golf clubs to pottery bird cottages.  The list is too long of what and who is in the shop, you’ll just have to stop by and check it out.”

Stop by the shop!

Young sees her new emporium as a work in progress and describes it as pretty fluid right now.  “There won’t be an official opening till we get our first Fridays back.  Until then, stop in and say hi!” says Young.  Young at Art is located at 1042 Washington St. E. Lewisburg, WV 24901. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11a-5p. Follow the emporium on facebook @youngatartinWV. There is no phone number or website yet, so Young asks that you reach out to her old school, “stop by the shop!” Also, look for bright new signage soon.

Also, check out: WV Artist on Display: Repurposed for Arts Sake! An interview with Merideth Young.

– Hashtag Lewisburg City Paper #127. October 2020.