NEW ALBANY — A new business is showcasing the work of local artists in downtown New Albany.
Kok Cheow Yeoh, graphic design director at Indiana University Southeast’s Fine Arts Department, recently opened an art gallery and marketplace called “slyck” at 313 E. Spring St.
The gallery’s soft opening took place on Oct. 6. The shop is open Fridays to Mondays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
On Nov. 24 and 25, the shop will present a meet-and-greet event with artists during business hours.
Yeoh said the idea for the gallery started before the COVID-19 pandemic. His goal was to provide a platform for graphic design students to display and sell their artwork.
The business features the work of multiple IUS students who work in mediums such as digital art, drawing, painting and printmaking. The rest of the space is rented to other local artists.
His business has “evolved into a space where local creatives can connect and collaborate,” Yeoh said.
“I think the plan was to be able to provide a space for my students and former students as well, also [for] local creatives to have a place to express their ideas,” he said.
The gallery also displays Yeoh’s own work, including posters he has designed over the years.
“I participate in poster design, and some of these posters have been exhibited in different parts of the world from Moscow to China to Turkey,” he said.
It took a “big leap of faith” to open the business as he faced logistical issues, Yeoh said.
“[There are] many things that you really have to overcome just to make this dream a reality,” he said.
He wants people to be able to connect with local artists.
“Compared to the mass-produced stuff that you could buy out there at Target, Walmart, Amazon… a brick-and-mortar space is about face-to-face interaction,” Yeoh said.
People can also buy custom work they would not be able to find anywhere else.
“I try to find people who would produce limited, one-off, very small quality work, so you cannot find it on Amazon, you cannot find it at Target, and if you’re looking for something truly unique, this would be the place,” he said.