Located on the idyllic Main Street of Wellsville, the Wellsville Community Arts Center is a fun little stop for anyone interested in local artisans, coffee, and free Wi-Fi over lunch. The center boasts an art gallery, a pottery studio, The Little Gem (a store selling products from local artisans), along with a full out café that serves a variety of lunch items from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
I happened to stumble upon it by accident while perusing Wellsville with a group of friends. My experience was fantastic, as I am a sucker for public funding of the arts and coffee. We walked into the Little Gem and browsed kinds of things artists from all over Allegany County were producing and selling.
As we stepped into the connecting doorway we became excited as we realized we were in a café. We ordered coffee before perusing the pottery for sale on the cabinet in the main dining area. The barista was incredibly friendly, and told us to check the downstairs. We all clambered down to find that there was a large pottery studio with moody, stone walls and at least a dozen wheels. We found out that lessons are available so community members could be exposed to the arts.
We went back upstairs to get a table and were told that, if we wanted, we could play the piano in the corner. I decided to poke around the spacious dining room and see everything there. There was a corner with old school chairs and a bookshelf with a collection of books and magazines to borrow while sipping on some coffee. As well, there were a variety of board games for anyone interested in hanging out for a little while at the center. I also found posters for events hosted at the center, including open mic nights, trivia, and karaoke, along with the occasional live music.
My friends and I sat down and realized that there was a full lunch menu as well, which included everything from breakfast burritos and salad, to sandwiches and quesadillas. We each ordered a meal, and were delighted to find that it even accommodated for a friend of ours who was gluten intolerant.
The atmosphere was great, the service was fantastic and the décor was a perfect showcase of local artwork. All of us were stunned we hadn’t heard about this place in all of our four years of college, and definitely wanted to come again after such a great experience.
The Center is open Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours change based on special events or when certain art classes are in session.
Every Wednesday night the Center hosts an Open Mic Night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Check their website or Facebook page for any upcoming events or times for classes held at the center.