WLM | explore
A Creative Place for
a Creative Community:
Gallery on Main, Dayton WY
By Sonja Caywood
Images courtesy Sonja Caywood
B
uilt in 1949, the big building
on the corner of Third
and Main in Dayton is
known locally as “The Old Corner
Grocery.” Owner Gina Donnor
opened Sheridan County’s Newest
Art Gallery just over one year ago
in the building, which hadn’t been
open to the public in 20 years.
Donnor and a number of tradesmen
and local volunteers worked to
renovate and decorate the large
space. A section of the original
grocery’s wooden shelves remains,
and former aisle locations can be
traced on the timeworn cement
floor. An eclectic mix of furnishings
suggest a chic city coffee house,
while the wall of locally gathered
doors and cowhide rugs on the
floor whisper “Wyoming.” Housed
within the gallery is a Jackson Hole
Winery tasting room, and “Sweet
Indulgences,” which serves lunches,
coffees and decadent desserts.
For a small town, Dayton is home
to a large number of creative
people working in a variety of
media; as a community-minded
businesswoman, Donnor primarily
exhibits work by Tongue River
Sonja Caywood
Valley artists. When asked what
prompted this venture, Donnor
explains, “I need a project going
to keep me motivated. Dayton
businesses are perking up and this
building was a huge section of
our business district. What better
Sonja Caywood
way to bring it to life than to fill it
with art? We have such an artistic
community, and I love working
with our local artists, artisans, and
craftsmen, both established and upand-coming. Building business and
marketing are my art!” WL M
www.wyolifestyle.com
39