William Street comes alive

By Lori Bradly

Cities are living things, and like any large animal species, they usually morph and evolve so slowly that changes aren’t noticed or are noted and accepted as business-as-usual.

Of course, nothing was routine about the COVID crisis and the impact it had on small businesses in small cities. New Bedford survived epic historic downturns such as the end of the whaling era and migration of most textile businesses and, like other Massachusetts gateway cities, it is learning to prosper in a new economy. Now, coming alive again after the pandemic, the New Bedford small business creative economy proves to be resilient, though slightly altered.

A recent autumn walk down William Street during the Downtown New Bedford (dNB) Fall Fest revealed what has changed and what remains the same in the creative small business community. Over the years, different segments of the downtown area emerge as clusters of creative commerce, and this year, William Street and the surrounding area are filled with extraordinary, enjoyable gift-buying opportunities, along with friendly conversations and glimpses into buildings that embody the rich past of the city.

In planning a shopping trip to William Street, it’s helpful to know that parking on the upper end is more plentiful during weekdays. A walk down the entire street on a nice day is a rewarding adventure. A shopping tour of upper William Street starts at Gallery X, one of the oldest creative places in the city (galleryx.org).

The gallery was the first downtown art gallery and is housed in a beautifully restored historic church. Gallery X-Mas, an exhibition of local art made for gift shopping, returns this year throughout December and the gallery gift shop, Something X-tra, offers a selection of fun and inventive locally made art, jewelry, books, and gifts year-round. Founded by artists of the former Swain School of Design, Gallery X is a venerable New Bedford institution. Art by original Swain students can now be viewed along with the artwork of their children and grandchildren.

Continue down to middle William Street past the picturesque library and City Hall to visit a cluster of three enduring artist-run gallery shops that survived and thrived after the pandemic. All have a rich selection of handmade gift buying options. New Bedford native and artist Ryan McFee (@Paradise_McFee on Instagram) offers a plethora of paintings and prints with a fantasy vibe, including some with local maritime themes at his Paradise McFee Gallery.

Small Anchors

Just a few steps down the street on the same side is TL6 the Gallery which, for the past 25 years, has intrigued visitors with a wealth of creations perfect for gifts by local artists – including glass art, clothing, photos, prints, paintings, cards, custom jewelry, and more. Gallery owner Arianna Swink, a jewelry designer, presents a large selection of her own lovely creations. Visit facebook.com/TL6theGallery for more.

William Street and the surrounding area are filled with extraordinary, enjoyable gift-buying opportunities, along with friendly conversations and glimpses into buildings that embody the rich past of the city.

The Allison Wells Gallery is on the same side of William Street as TL6 and Paradise McFee, and is run by its namesake, former UMass Dartmouth Fine Art graduate student Allison Wells (alisonwells.com). Her artwork is vibrant and semi-abstract, often depicting local scenes. She offers a collection of original artworks large and small, Giclee prints and cards, in addition to gift certificates. The gallery and the artist are a testament to the city’s commitment to the creative community. In the recent newsletter she sends out to her many art fans, Wells shared a glimpse at her history in the city and the artist’s grant that sparked her gallery, “I received an artist grant back in 2014. Grants are very important to artists and entrepreneurs because they fund professional and artistic development, allowing us to continue to serve the community by sharing the great work we do.”

She continues with an inspiring message for her fellow creators, “My wins began to outweigh the struggles and I have learned how to deal with adversities and curveballs better through the years. They are inevitable in business and life. I have been celebrating my gallery’s anniversary every single year since I opened my doors in October 2014 because I do not ever take all of this for granted.”

Old and New

Traveling farther down the cobblestoned street, past the New Bedford Whaling National Park Visitors Center, leads to several new galleries and shops featuring locally made gifts. Sadly, the venerable Arthur Moniz Gallery, on the corner of William Street and Johnny Cake Hill, closed after 20 years in February, leaving a gap in the lower William Street gallery cluster.

Fortunately, owner Anthi Frangiadis recently moved her gallery, the Drawing Room, up from Water Street into this larger, light-filled historic space. The enchanting display area is crammed with high-end yet accessible local and regional works of art and craft such as paintings, jewelry, and pottery, in addition to interior decorating specialty items such as fabrics, paint, wallpaper, and furniture (shop.anthif.com).

Right next door to the Drawing Room is the new Latitutde 41 Outfitters shop (lat41nb.com). During the summer, owner Laurie Botelho moved the Landing Gift Shop up from the waterfront to the former New Bedford Merchant space on William Street. It is currently undergoing a dramatic renovation yet retains the homey maritime aura of the beloved Merchant shop. Lat41 Outfitters offers a range of regionally inspired gifts, and the owner has plans to include arts and crafts made by local artists. While-you-wait custom embroidery will also be available on maritime-themed printed clothing.

Continuing down to the end of William Street and turning right behind the Whaling Museum towards Water Street leads to two special gift venues, one old and one new. The Bejeweled shop, just around the corner in Centre Street, has been offering exceptional jewelry from around the world since 2000 (shopbejeweledonline.com). The selection is carefully curated with a range of artist-designed and crafted jewelry from traditional to trendy. And an added bonus of visiting Centre Street is the stunning view towards the waterfront crammed with colorful fishing boats.

A short trip back up Centre Street to Water Street leads to a new gift shop called Salt and Sole, opened in 2021 (saltandsoleshop.com). Festively decorated, antique windows showcase a variety of gift items including jewelry, candles, hand-painted shells, and maritime-themed apparel. Owner Laura Lanagan sells her own handmade New Bedford Candle Company candles here, and Nantucket artist Peter Van Dingstee’s gyotaku fish prints are featured on every wall. These intriguing prints are made by a traditional process where real fish are painted and pressed into paper, resulting in delicate prints of incredible detail and complexity. Van Dingstee offers a wide variety of sizes of his art at Salt and Sole from small 8-by-10-inch framed and matted prints, to large multipart wall pieces.

Visitors can easily spend an entire, enjoyable day exploring the shops and galleries on William Street and the surrounding streets. And gift shopping opportunities don’t end in downtown New Bedford. Extending a shopping tour out to other city neighborhoods such as the historic mills filled with artist studios and shops in the north and south end of New Bedford, and the shops on Acushnet Avenue in the north end could make for an entire weekend of shopping for locally made treasures!

Lori Bradley is an artist, writer and educator. She lives in New Bedford with her husband and pack of rescued dogs and has a studio at the Hatch Street Studios in the north end.