Columbus, Ohio USA
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Paul Volker Opens Gallery in Maryland
By Margaret Marten
September/October 2016 Issue

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See Also 1999 article It's a Beautiful Life

Paul Volker (center) flanked by member of the
business community at his new gallery in Snow Hill.
Photo © Maryland Coast Dispatch

Paul Volker, whose zany artwork has enlivened many Short North Gazette covers over the years, left Columbus and moved to Snow Hill, Maryland, last fall with his wife Lori and son Garret to live closer to his wife’s family.

Volker is widely known for his small satirical paintings created on reclaimed plywood with mismixed housepaint, carrying titles such as “Dog With Toaster Hat” and “Mt. Fuji and the Cross-Dressing Cowboy.” He completed a “Wild Beast Series” of some 1500 pieces that he started in the ‘90s while working at Acme Art Company in the Short North, and his artwork is still available in Columbus at pm gallery.

The small town of Snow Hill where he lives is reinventing itself as an arts destination much like the Short North did in the ‘80s. There are plenty of old empty buildings there, according to Volker, so he eagerly set up a studio and storefront gallery, named Green Pearl Contemporary Fine Art for its location at the intersection of Green and Pearl in the historic downtown area. Because his space had to be completely renovated from nothing, he was able to build it to his own specifications with innovative lighting and design.

The local paper ran an article about his upcoming gallery last January that included a photo of the artist donning a suit and bow tie, holding his gallery sign, flanked by eight members of the business community. “I’m getting a lot of exposure in an entirely new market,” he said. “And because it is such a tiny town, only about 2,000 people, I am able to actually be involved in what is going on with planning and development.”

We congratulate Paul on his new gallery and hope his contributions to Snow Hill continue to inspire and strengthen that community. His website is at www.paulvolker.com and on Facebook. The Maryland Coast Dispatch story about his new gallery can be found at www.mdcoastdispatch.com.

© 2016 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

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