HUNTINGTON -- When Chase Bowman came home to his native West Virginia this summer, he wondered whether he could display or sell any of his art.

The 29-year-old fine arts major at Marshall University had plenty of opportunities in San Francisco, where he had lived for the past decade. But other than the Birke Art Gallery on Marshall's campus, the chances for young artists in the Huntington area to show off their creations were limited.

Bowman's homecoming occurred about the same time that support was growing for a small venue on 4th Avenue called Gallery 842.

"I haven't been here too long, but it seems that there weren't a lot of opportunities for local artists to show off their work outside of an academic setting," Bowman said. "Gallery 842 gives us a forum that frees us from constraints that might come with a class project or assignment."

Those involved with the gallery say local artists aren't the only ones who will benefit from its presence in the downtown. It's a prime example of an attraction that can revitalize 4th Avenue and keep young, creative-minded people in the Tri-State, they say.

"Purchasing art from a local gallery can serve as a positive talking point about Huntington or be a trigger for conversation about Huntington," said Byron Clercx, chairman of the Department of Art and Design in the College of Fine Arts at Marshall. "It's a positive branding that you can't get anywhere else and it's an example of how the arts can contribute to a positive sense of community."

What began as a community art project last spring by the Huntington Art Collective and Create Huntington now has some permanence to it.

The College of Fine Arts recently signed a one-year lease with Dingess Rum Properties for the space at 842 4th Ave. Dingess Rum Properties donated the space and all of the associated expenses to the College of Fine Arts, while the college is allowing students to work at the gallery five days a week.

"I think this is another wonderful relationship between the community and Marshall University that we've all been looking for," said Liza Caldwell, commercial property manager for Dingess Rum Properties. "It's one more asset to encourage students to stay in the area, which in turn will allow us to rejuvenate our workforce with younger thoughts and younger minds."

Caldwell's sentiments are echoed by Don Van Horn, dean of Marshall's College of Fine Arts. Marshall's visual art students rarely get to interact with the community on the level that theater and music students do, he said. The gallery not only evens the playing field, but it also gives the students some experience with negotiating prices and exhibiting their work in a non-academic setting, he said.

In many regards, Gallery 842 is an extension of the classroom in a public setting, Clercx said.

"By maneuvering our activities, it broadens the learning opportunities for our students by connecting them to a broader culture," Clercx said. "That collective input flows through the gallery and back into the classrooms."

Marshall students won't be the only ones displaying their work at the gallery. Clercx said he envisions faculty members' works on display and exhibitions that include art from community members as well.

"The gallery is open to everyone, but entries also will be subjected to judges at our juried exhibitions," he said. "Just because you enter an exhibit does not mean you will get in. At the same time, we really encourage our talented artists of the Tri-State and beyond to take advantage of this new venue."

No matter whose work is on display at Gallery 842, there's an advantage it has over other galleries in larger cities, said Jaye Ike, special projects coordinator for the College of Fine Arts.

"You can easily meet the artist you're purchasing from or form a friendship with the photographer whose work you just had to have," Ike said. "You can't find that in New York or Philadelphia.

"Hopefully people will realize the value of supporting 842 and supporting our local artists. You will never feel the same about a print that you picked up at a craft store at the mall as you will feel about a piece of art you purchased from an up-and-coming artist."

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