A new gallery featuring some nontraditional art is opening in Old Town Square

When the Old Town Square shop Bella Luz closed this summer, a sign in the window said it was only temporary. That seemed odd given that all of its merchandise — including all the Keeper of the Plains replicas in its windows — was gone from the building.

The store clearly isn’t coming back, though, because artist Micky Maddux is in the space preparing to open a gallery in May.

The Wichita native, who sold her first piece of art at age 12, moved to Florida five years ago. Through her Micky Maddux Art, she’s traveled nationally to show and sell her work and even has sold internationally.

She was home visiting family earlier this year when she saw the empty Bella Luz space, which is near the Old Town Square fountain where Maddux’s children used to play.

“It’s kind of sentimental to me,” she said.

Maddux said she thought that “maybe this is a sign.”

“It was all kind of sudden, but I felt like it was meant to be.”

Maddux said she wanted to move back to be with family, and she’s always wanted to open a gallery.

“It’s been my life goal.”

She’s naming it for her sister who died in childhood: Tamsyn’s Art Gallery by Micky Maddux.

This makes the second Old Town Square business named for a deceased sibling. Chris Tincher named his Todd Brian’s Brick Street Cafe & Tavern after his late brother.

Maddux hopes to open Tamsyn’s by May 1, which is her sister’s birthday.

The gallery will be a mix of a lot of things because Maddux said she views art in an all-encompassing way.

So in addition to traditional forms of art by local, national and international artists, the gallery will offer music, catered events, quilting lessons and cooking classes “because that’s a type of art.”

She’ll also have a licensed art therapist for art therapy classes.

There will be children’s classes, too.

“It’s for the whole family,” Maddux said.

“I really just want this to be a place that . . . people can come and really enjoy.”

She also hopes to revive a charity event she did in Florida where she gives free henna crowns to women with cancer.

Maddux said she hopes local artists — again, that could be painters, sculptors, glass and metal workers or even furniture makers — contact her about getting their works shown.

She can be reached at mickymadduxart@gmail.com.

“I would love to have some artists reach out to me,” Maddux said.

Her goal is “to be able to help other artists showcase their work.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2021 at 4:43 AM.