rTrail Collective Edge

Brenda Magnetti Erickson is ever grateful for the good mentors she has had in her career. It's been a busy one that has finally led her to establishing a unique fine arts gallery in Valparaiso, Indiana. She graduated from Valparaiso University before she moved on to working for a television station in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, communications agencies and Anheuser Busch theme parks.

"In 2007, I decided it was time to give back and I had an idea," Brenda says. "I wanted to establish a store to help artists and artisans start their own careers."

Which brought her right back to Valparaiso, where her business idea, rTrail Collective Edge, became a reality. Today this snazzy gallery features the works of 40 different artists, all who specialize in hand-crafted creations that take time and effort, she says. One unusual feature is a 42-inch touch screen on the outside of the gallery. "People can touch it and see everything that we have inside," Brenda says. "We want them to come in, step back and slow down for the experience."

Artists are often on hand to tell the story of each piece and the artist who created it. About 80 percent of the artists featured are involved in the Indiana Artisans Program, which includes artists from Valparaiso as well as other parts of Indiana.

You'll find something you love, no matter what type of art is your favorite. Enjoy oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings, wood-cut prints, woodcraft and carvings, ceramics, textile arts, glassware, glass jewelry and silk scarves. Deciding what you might want to buy to take home is all part of the enjoyable experience.
"We're very proud to feature the works of some top artists," Brenda says. You'll find 79-year-old Virginia Phillips' oil paintings and a setee' finished with a kilim rug covering from her early works collection. One of her paintings has been chosen to be featured on Easter Seals. Doug Remschneider, who studied in New Mexico, blends textures and colors in his glass pieces, which are available in the gallery all year.

Visitors also get a chance to do some creating of their own. Several drop-in activities are offered. You can do a woodcut and carve rubber stamps, which are then placed on a wall of public art. More than 150 of these works are featured there.

"We think that seeing a wide variety of art gives visitors a sense of what I like to call Healthy Community," Brenda says. "They can experience it through the eyes of our featured artisans." Classes that are offered at the gallery just add to that experience. "Anyone can complete an art project with us and take home a piece of Indiana creative culture," she adds.

Because of her deep ties to Valparaiso University, Brenda also plans to feature the creations of some of the art students in 2011. "Some of the students are from other parts of the world, so you see some of their international handicrafts," she says.

So take Brenda's advice to step in and slow down. It's well worth a trip to Valparaiso to visit this unique gallery.

rTrail Collective Edge
(219) 299-2226
rTrail.com