Avis King was interested in art even as a child, so it was only natural that she went to college for fine arts and craft design. Avis and her husband Joe both have bachelor’s degrees from Buffalo State College. “This background and expertise in making as well as selling arts and crafts enables me to educate the clients about the works they’re viewing which I believe enhances the enjoyment of owning handcrafted items and art.”

“During the mid 70’s we would spend weekends near Ellicottville and fell in love with the beauty of the area and the interesting people here. We felt that the arts and crafts community in Ellicottville would grow along with the ski and tourist resorts, so we found a location for the gallery in an old historic building, picked a wooded site to build our home and started designing our future.”

When Earth Arts opened in 1977, winter was the only busy season. During the summer Avis and Joe attended art shows selling what they created, meeting new artists, and adding their work to the store. “Originally we started with just a handful of artists represented along with my work and my husband Joe’s photography and wood working,” Avis had a small studio area in the store to create glass enamel on copper jewelry, dishes and wall art. Customers came and watched the works in progress as well as being able to purchase a piece of art and craft to enjoy at home.” I see artists and craftspeople as lifestyle creators and have always been involved in creative pursuits. I like mixing and matching different artists works and enjoy having an eclectic mix of styles with a diverse range of prices. It’s great to be able to encourage talented people while making unique, useful and attractive items available to art lovers from all over the globe.”

After years of minor improvements and alterations it was impossible to display all the pieces adequately, so in 1996 a major expansion took place, an adjoining apartment wall was removed and the gallery’s area more than doubled in size. Major renovations were made including restoring the origin pressed tin panel ceiling. To mitigate damage done over the previous century and showcase the 100-year-old buildings character, Joe custom crafted the display cabinets, interior architecture structures and moldings in cherry wood. Drop ceilings were removed; windows were uncovered and then fitted with glass shelves to allow the maximum amount of natural light to shine in. The result is a comfortable, friendly gallery, spacious and inviting; a fun place to indulge in viewing.

Using her expertise as an art show exhibitor and gallery owner, Avis volunteered to organize and run the fall arts and crafts show for 15 years and a gallery walk for the last 3 years. “My current involvement in this newest arts and crafts event is to help develop a showcase for our regional talent.” “I’m committed to the community, our current and future artist as well as the people represented in the gallery”