Last November, Cara Briggs Farmer completed her gateway feature for our alley project, and then set to work renovating her new studio/gallery/office space with a goal of opening in April. Earlier last fall, Cara had purchased a small, older industrial building near her home in Uptown Marion that needed a lot of TLC but showed promise of meeting her needs. While the workspace was no more than a shell, she was excited to have the room necessary to assemble the various components of her stainless steel gateway feature. One sunny fall morning, friends gathered to transfer her artwork to its destination two blocks away at the north entrance to our project site. Drivers along Seventh Avenue, Marion’s main street, were undoubtedly surprised to see a sculpture rolling by! It traveled quickly and safely, facedown, to its destination. All went smoothly, thanks to good planning, people power and a police escort!

Over the past few months, Cara has worked alongside others to install a new roof on her building and make it fully functional for her growing business. The Grand Opening was held on April 22, right on time! Potential customers can now stop by Cara Briggs Farmer’s colorful new gallery at 933 9th Street in Marion or find her online at www.synergy-metalworks.com.