Merideth Young isn ’ t much on self-promotion . “ I ’ m just not good at it ,” she said . “ I ’ d rather let it happen organically .” Young realizes her approach is contrary to most other business models , but she ’ s OK with that . She said there ’ s something special about watching customers stumble upon Young at Art , the Lewisburg art emporium she opened in September 2020 . “ It ’ s kind of like a little gem in the sea of everything else ,” she said of her shop . The Monroe County artist had long been familiar with the East Washington Street space when she decided to make it her own . It ’ s the spot where she and other local artisans had joined forces to establish the West Virginia Fine Artisans Gallery four years earlier . The gallery closed in early 2020 , however , as a number of its members , including Young , had pulled out due to time constraints or personal reasons . That ’ s when Young , a painter who primarily focuses on creating wall art and jewelry , decided to take a chance . “ I was working from home and my art just kind of took over everything ,” she said . “ I needed a bigger space .” It wasn ’ t just a bigger workspace Young was after though . She said she had long dreamed of opening her business — a space a bit more inclusive than a typical gallery .
48 ❖ SOUTH ❖ JANUARY - FEBRUARY ' 22