SOUTH RANGE – Until Friday, South Range had never been known as a hotbed for the arts. As far as anyone knew at the grand opening of the Wide-Eyed Gallery, it was the first gallery opening on the Range.

That led to a bit of confusion trying to put things together, said artist/chiropractor/ gallery director Sarah Derenzo, who opened the nonprofit gallery in the same building as her new chiropractic office, in the heart of the village at M-26 and Trimountain Avenue.

“The musician, he didn’t originally write me back,” Derenzo laughed. “He said he thought it was an April Fools joke.”

April Fools Day or no, plenty of art aficionados made the drive out to South Range Friday, despite a host of other arts events on the local calendar, including Calumet’s monthly First Friday program.

It did not take long for them to see why Derenzo and her husband, Mike, had picked the surprise location.

“It was largely about the space,” she said. “We saw the glass walls, and it was kind of perfect.”

The couple bought the building, said Mike, and housing Sarah’s office, their apartment, a tenant and the gallery all in the same building took the financial pressure off the gallery.

There is even room to set up her own studio in the back soon, said Sarah, an Ontonagon native who’s been a bit art-starved over the last decade, which she spent focused on her full-time career in Iowa.

“The goal is to dive back in now,” she said. “Sculpture, painting, anything I can get my hands on.”

Re-introducing herself to the arts crowd is a big reason for the gallery, she said, and some highly regarded old friends were on hand Friday to help her do it. The three featured artists for the opening were Ashley Ekdahl, with a series of primitive oils; watercolorist Donna Leonard; and artist, teacher, mead-maker and musician Melissa Hronkin.

“I was her high school art teacher in Ontonagon, gave her some crazy ideas,” admitted Hronkin. “I’m happy she’s got this space.”

Donna Leonard is another childhood influence who now teaches at the Calumet Art Center. A big fan of decentralized art after her time in Rockland and Alaska, she’s excited about the new gallery’s home.

“This is crazy exciting. South Range!” she said. “I love where it’s at, between more rural towns. Any time there’s art, it draws people in.”

Derenzo said the gallery will be open sporadically for the next month or so, then during her chiropractic office hours after that. Information on hours is available at Wide-Eyed Gallery’s Facebook page, and anyone interested in displaying art can contact her there as well.

There is also a GoFundMe page to help with startup expenses, she said – just search Wide-Eyed Gallery.