From newbie to novice to pro, LibertyTown is home.
by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Business Name: LibertyTown Arts Workshop
Location: 916 Liberty Street
Regular Business Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Website: Libertytownarts.com
Instagram: Libertytownarts
D.D. Lecky gets excited when someone tells her they have no creativity. That allows her to then ask her favorite follow-up question: “Who told you you aren’t creative?”
“There’s always an answer,” she tells FXBG Advance.
Usually it has to do with someone, D.D. says, that a person has encountered along the way who spelled out “a rule of what art looks like. There isn’t a rule. Do whatever you want to do. Creativity is about expression.”
For nearly two decades, LibertyTown Arts Workshop has been helping people find their creative voice. D.D. and her husband, Kenneth Lecky, have owned this artists’ workshop for the past 10 years.
“It’s kind of our thing to support community artists,” D.D. says. And the Leckys help a lot of artists. According to their tallies, there are some 60 artists – all local – who work out of the space at 916 Liberty Street, which is near the city’s war memorial.
LibertyTown is about much more than just working artists, however. It’s about helping people discover and do art. There are, in fact, dozens of classes offered. From pottery (D.D.’s specialty) to watercolors and oils and photography (Ken’s specialty) and more.
Once people are on their way, D.D. and Ken then do all they can to promote that work. There’s an everchanging series of shows, like the new one highlighting small works of art.
Then there are juried shows. If “juried” sounds a bit hoity-toity, take a closer look.
Unlike D.C., where some art galleries can be entered only by appointment, and price points can start at $10,000, Fredericksburg is accessible and affordable.
“Fredericksburg is one of the best places to dip your toes into the art community,” D.D. says. “We’re not snobby, and there aren’t crazy price points here. Our doors are almost always open.”
So, too, their willingness to help others discover their creative side.
Three Questions for the Owners
FXBG Advance: What sells best here?
D.D. and Ken: A lot of cards, surprisingly. Cards are an accessible way to bring art into your home. We’ve had people frame them, as well as make gifts of them to others. Mugs and other pieces of pottery are also very popular.
FXBG Advance: What are the most unusual gifts available here?
D.D. and Ken: We have lots of things that people wouldn’t expect to find – ceramic hearts, carved oars, a Big Foot ornament. There’s even one lady here who has a 1940s sock-making machine that she uses to produce scarves, socks, handwarmers, etc.
Everything is handmade, so it’s one-of-a-kind or very limited. The odds of you buying something here and showing up at a gift exchange with a duplicate gift is highly unlikely.
FXBG Advance: Best advice for someone who knows nothing about art but wants to buy something?
D.D. and Ken: Buy things that move you. But also, meet some artists and see how they make their work.
When you find things you like, try making it yourself. That’s a great way to come to appreciate the things that you like.
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-Martin Davis, Editor
