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Artists Kelly Franke, Madison Fender and Kara Hoblin peer over instant photographs at the North Fork Art Collective in Greenport. (Credit: Vera Chinese)

This summer seven local artists banded together to create a working art space right in Greenport’s downtown.

The initiative, dubbed the North Fork Art Collective, features seven founding member artists: Kara Hoblin, Madison Fender, Jeremy Garretson, Emma Ballou, Peter Treiber, Scott Bluedorn and Kelly Franké.

All of the work displayed inside — like vintage magazine collages by Treiber or Garretson’s stunning landscape photos — is for sale. The members staff the gallery’s reception area and use the space to create their work. They also take inspiration from and build on one another’s art.

An artist co-op has long been a dream of Hoblin, who connected the group’s founding members with one another. North Fork rent is expensive and splitting the cost helps the initiative stay viable, but it also helps young East End artists solidify themselves as a community.

“I know this is a solid group of talented artists. For me it’s an honor to be a part of it,” Franké told us. “There is a lot of hidden art in town and this is a great way to get exposure for people.”

The NoFo Art Collective isn’t the only new gallery in town. VSOP Projects, which opened nearby in May, is part contemporary art gallery and part lifestyle store. The current exhibition, Winter Salon, features 24 local artists and will remain on display through Jan. 8.

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