Ella Grace Helton gets art into first gallery at age 9

Congratulations to Ella for getting her original art notecards displayed for sale at Eau Gallery in Melbourne, FL! We happened to be on an errand in June 2022 to the classic art supply store in the historic Eau Gallie Arts District (EGAD) area of Melbourne and parked across the street, our car facing some shops and an art gallery we'd never visited.

I asked Ella if she wanted to go into the gallery and she whipped back with an emphatic, "Yes!" I grabbed a small tote I carry around with one of each of her art notecards and in we went. I asked the ladies there if they know of any galleries or programs that showcased youth or student artists and shared a quick mention of Ella's pastel work, taking out some cards to show as examples.

The gallery manager suggested they had space on the notecard rack for Ella to rent a row. So, we settled the arrangement right there and brought more cards back a few days later. Ella also attended the monthly "First Friday Art Walk," where she got to mingle with other artists whose work displays in the gallery and with patrons who came to support them all.

We are grateful to the other artists and the community art lovers who have supported Ella. It was a beautiful moment for her to receive her first check in the mail for the previous month's sales of her work. We thought how wonderful to one day have some of her original artwork hanging on the walls... and as luck would have it, we'll share more about a development with her framed originals in a future post.

HINT: It involves art in public places! 

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