Wednesday, October 7th, 2026
The art next door
Pennyjane had a special impact on local art
By Erin Gardner
File Photo/The Daily Standard
Art enthusiasts browse through the pieces of local artwork at Pennyjane Art Co. during a past gallery open house.
COLDWATER - After six years, a local couple is closing the chapter on their Coldwater art gallery.
Pennyjane Art Co., an art studio featuring around 45 artists, announced in September that it is closing after the holiday season. An artist herself, Jane Dippold and her husband Christopher opened the small business, located at 208 W. Main St. in Coldwater, in November 2020.
During an interview last week, Dippold said she made the bittersweet decision to close the business, citing retirement and wanting to travel and connect with family.
"My husband is retired now, and I would like to head down that path also (to) be able to spend additional time traveling with my grandkids and just enjoying life," she said.
Though Dippold said she is excited for the next step, she also understood that the holidays are pivotal for artists and wanted to keep the shop open to give customers a final opportunity to support local art.
She said the experience has been incredibly rewarding. The initial goal in building the business was to present art in a small town and help artists promote their work. That goal grew tenfold as the gallery allowed people to experience art in a way they otherwise would not have, Dippold said.
Pennyjane houses art from more than 40 artists specializing in ceramics, painting, drawings, mixed media, jewelry, wood and fabric. They are primarily from Ohio, and some are former art teachers, while others are self-taught.
"It's a range of art education levels that they're at, but they all take it very seriously, and they create things in a professional way in their own voice, so to speak, or their own techniques, styles and mediums," Dippold said. "Everybody's got their own thing. You can look at a group of paintings, and you can easily tell whose is whose."
Because each artist is essentially their own small business, the opening and closing of galleries is a normal part of the industry.
"Artists are used to the ebb and flow (when) new opportunities arise," she said. "I'm not sure what everyone's plans are, but all of the artists are essentially a small business on their own. In addition to selling in my shop, they also sell at art fairs (and) outdoor art events. Many of them sell in other cities, so artists are always looking for opportunities, and it'll just move into that - all of us looking for new opportunities to present and sell art."
Dippold, a Miami University alumna who started her art career at Gibson Greeting Cards in Cincinnati, will still create and sell her own collage art. She also illustrates for children's books and magazines. She hopes that not having the added pressure of keeping a business afloat will allow her more creativity.
"When you're not worried about a store that you're thinking of having work in, it's easier sometimes to create … because it's low pressure versus high pressure," she said. "I am definitely going to continue being a painter. I hope to do that until I'm old and gray."
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Pennyjane Art Co., 208 W. Main St. in Coldwater, is closing after the holiday season.
When Dippold and her husband first started the venture, they planned to host art classes, but that idea was tossed during the pandemic. She then asked some friends to bring some of their art to hang on the shop's shelves. The business model then snowballed when other artists inquired.
Over time, Dippold said she noticed a shift in culture where people who may not have paid attention to art could now look at an average sunset in a new way.
"It's been really neat to see people visit the gallery who may not really think about art on the regular," she said. "They might be a farmer or it's just not their thing (and) they don't really think about art, but they come in because, 'Well, it's in Coldwater. I'll stop by.' They really enjoy seeing the talent because it's local talent. People have a lot of pride in our local area, so to be able to present local artists to them that are within a half hour to an hour of where they live, they're often surprised that there's that much talent out here."
As such, she thinks people have learned to appreciate beauty in mundane landscapes, like farmland, sunsets and sunrises, tractors, barns and flowers.
"A lot of what we see every day is in the artwork that's in the gallery," she said. "It does cause people to see the area we live in in a different way and I think that's what's important. They see the beauty in everyday life, which is really cool."
She also notices that customers thought art had to be presented in a certain way to be classified as such.
"They had a learning curve of getting to know that when it comes to art or music, you just go for what you like," she said. "You don't have to be an art expert to enjoy art. That's something I've been able to teach people (that) if you love it and it makes you happy to look at it, that's probably your best choice. They love the idea that someone they maybe don't know personally but who lives in a local town (such as) Maria Stein, Fort Recovery, Coldwater or St. Henry, could make such beautiful things. That's been a huge reward - to hear people compliment the artists all the time."
The store will have additional hours during the holiday season, and more information will be available on the business' Facebook page. As for the storefront, the couple owns the building and plans to rent it out.
Pennyjane is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. It will be open on select Wednesday evenings.
