In the small and often overlooked town of Fox River Grove, a resident is aiming to turn the village into an artistic hub with the opening of a new contemporary art gallery.

The All Ways art gallery, which sits across the street from the public library, was created by resident and artist Pat Marek. Pieces of art from his first collection are meticulously placed in his open and airy gallery that fills with natural night in the afternoon sun.

Marek’s first showing features contemporary artists from the Midwest, including Lucie Van Der Elst, Zor Zor Zor, David Krzeminski, Nick Jackson and Garrett Luczak.

All Ways, located at 412 Lincoln Ave., will host a grand opening from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9. The gallery will again be open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Private viewings will be available by appointment, and open house hours will be announced in the coming weeks.

Marek, a native to Fox River Grove who moved back to his hometown nearly two years ago, knew there was a substantial art community after attending a local art event. That got his wheels turning to create a hub where like-minded people could gather on a regular basis.

“A lot of things convinced me this could happen,” he said.

About six months ago, Marek started the Fox River Art Club where residents meet monthly to connect while working on whatever art projects they are in the middle of. He was blown away by the amount of people who showed up quickly forming a strong and inclusive community.

That excitement snowballed into opening a contemporary art gallery where Marek hopes can host as a permanent “epicenter” for the community.

Many of Marek’s own paintings are on display at the gallery, with most depicting scenes inspired by Fox River Grove and the Midwest. His work mainly consists of colorful landscapes and patterns that including symbols and figures.

Across the room in the All Ways gallery, another artist’s work is on display that features striking drawings made with an ink pen. Those creations are made by Crystal Lake native Ryan Tippery, whose art can be found around the world, including in hotels and Paris galleries.

When Tippery connected with Marek, they quickly found common ground in their philosophies and passions for creating an artistic community. A major aspiration is to make sure everyone feels welcomed, no matter what artistic skill or knowledge people have.

Marek plans to cycle through with new shows featuring different artists every two to three months.

With the gallery opened, Marek still has big visions for the future. He hopes to host community events at the gallery like film showings and acoustic music nights. In the gallery basement, he aims to open the space for artists to work in.

Another dream is to spearhead more public murals for the village in the future. One painting Marek pitched features a fox with small nods to the village like the Bettendorf Castle and a hot air balloon, as many used to launch by the Norge ski jump.

“Fox River Grove has an incredibly rich history,” he said. “I want to create something the village can be proud of.”

Marek is a strong believer that public art can strengthen communities and turn locations with murals into local landmarks.

“It changes the energy,” Tippery said.

Love for Fox River Grove is preeminent in the gallery. Marek endearingly calls the small town the “underdog” that is home to many people who take great pride in where they live.

“It’s hard to have a creative community,” Tippery said. “Pat is creating that community space.”