The Art Shop Co-op opened its doors in March 2009 at the OCAC (OCAC) as an addition to the abundance of activities offered at the Arts Center, according to Debra Bowles, an Oxford Township farmer and one of the original four artists who conceptualized the idea of the Art Shop Co-op.

The OCAC also houses art exhibits, music performances and music and dance lessons, according to Margery Dowers, an artist participating in the Art Shop Co-op.

According to Bowles, the Art Shop Co-op started because several artists wanted to work more closely with the Art Center but didn't want or need the art studios offered by the Art Center.

"A couple of us have had this vision for years," Bowles said.

The Art Shop Co-op is open from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and during certain OCAC events, according to Caroline Croswell, executive director of the OCAC. The Art Shop Co-op intends to increase its operating hours as demand increases, Croswell said.

The artists would eventually like to open the Art Shop Co-op on the weekends. However, this currently poses a problem because the Art Center itself does not operate on the weekends, Bowles said.

According to Bowles, there are currently 12 artists participating in the co-op are local artists from Oxford and the surrounding areas.

"It's unbelievable how many artists are in the Oxford area," Croswell said.

To participate in the Art Shop Co-op, artists contact Bowles expressing interest and include images of their work. Artists are invited based on the quality and type of their work, in part to satisfy public need for a variety of art in the Art Shop Co-op.

Dowers said she was interested in sharing her artistic talents with

the community.

"I was interested in participating in it because it's a way your work can be shown over a long period of time," Dowers said.

According to Dowers, participating in the Art Shop Co-op is also a way to support the OCAC and renovate the historic building housing the center, which was originally the first of three women's colleges in Oxford.

Participating artists are required to sign a contract stating they will volunteer at the OCAC, either by staffing the Art Shop Co-op during open hours or assisting at other OCAC events, Bowles said. They are also required to pay $5 a month, price and initial all of their pieces, purchase a vendor's license from the state of Ohio and pay their sales taxes.

According to Bowles, once an artist has been invited to participate in the co-op, they are free to put in as many pieces as they want, though there are a few ground rules for the group, such as not covering up another artist's work.

"So far we haven't had a problem of not having enough space," Croswell said. "As new members come in, other people reduce their stock so there is space for everybody."

The artists rotate their pieces at their discretion, giving the public a variety of artwork to view and purchase, according to Bowles.

"It's constantly evolving, with new things all the time," said Jean Vance, a participating artist.

The Art Shop Co-op has a great variety of art pieces, Bowles said. The artwork sold at the co-op includes clay pottery, enamel work, paintings, watercolors, block prints, jewelry, hats, photograph cards, paintings and collages on wood and historic pieces such as local historic building prints and books.

Bowles said she is very happy with the direction the Art Shop Co-op is taking and the results of their labor.

"It's working out very well," Bowles said. "It is well attended and well-supported."

According to Croswell, the Art Shop Co-op also benefits the OCAC. The OCAC receives 20 percent of all sales made in the Art Shop Co-op. Furthermore, the Art Shop benefits the OCAC by directing visitors that enter the building and serving as another advertising point for visiting the center, Croswell said.

"It's definitely beneficial to the art center," Croswell said. "The fact that it's there brings people to the art center."