ART SCENE Whitney moves over BY LIZ GOTTHELF

Those of you out there strolling along the First Friday Art Walk may have noticed something missing on the second floor of the State Theater building last week. No, it wasn’t the free wine blurring your memory. Whitney Art Works has moved.

The new location at 45 York Street will, say owners Deb and Peter Whitney, allow them to transform their business from a gallery to a multi-faceted art space. Here art seekers will find two-and-half times the gallery space (1700 square feet), as well as a classroom, workshop area, and full-service kitchen. The Whitneys envision what Peter calls "a lively place," with classes, performances, readings, community events, and private functions.

Although this sounds like an innovative idea, the concept is not new for the Whitneys. "We’re going back to our roots," says Deb, explaining that the original Whiney Art Works operated on Long Island for five years as "a sort of multi-purpose business. That’s why it’s not called a gallery because we did all sorts of different things."

When they moved to Portland, the location on High Street gave them good visibility, but they felt compromised. Both laugh about a reading they had in the cramped space that Peter says, "got a little smelly with body odor."

The Whitneys have some concerns that the new location will be off the beaten path of the First Friday Art Walk, but are hopeful that they can help expand the perimeters of the downtown art scene. By becoming an art space rather than an art gallery, they are expecting to attract more than the usual passing browsers. "It really is up to us to become part of people’s consciousness," says Deb. They hope their enthusiasm will become contagious, encouraging new and existing galleries in the area to get in on the action.

Whitney Art Works will reopen with a kickoff celebration in late April or early May. The first show will feature artists who have worked with the gallery over the past year. The opening party promises to be a good time, with food, performances, and plenty of art. And oh yeah, they’ll still have free wine.