If there’s one thing Debi Bonsack and husband Brad Keith know — it’s art.

And they’re ready to throw open the doors of their Orange Blossom Road gallery in support of the very first art club in Oakdale, geared toward supporting and celebrating the creative mind.

“People come to shows and workshops asking about an art club, so this is really in response to what people have been asking for,” Bonsack said of the impetus behind the club. “Already we’re getting tons of response.”

Word of mouth has spread like wildfire and Bonsack said she’s been inundated with calls and emails as everyone has been eager to see the club get off the ground.

“We live in an awesome community but it’s really lacking in the arts. My idea is to educate the community on art…broaden their horizons,” Bonsack said. “We’re just a little country town but we have a lot of talented people living here.”

The idea for the first meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m., is to build the framework and gather ideas for the club.

“It’s a tradition in Knights Ferry to gather around the pot-bellied stove in the general store, and that’s what we want to do here,” Bonsack said.

And she even has a pot-bellied stove, ready to warm fingers and toes and promote community togetherness.

“We want to focus on getting everyone’s ideas and making it their club,” Bonsack said. “We’re just facilitating…we want it to be the community’s art club.”

The group will meet on the first Friday of every month, beginning in February. The first meeting will be to develop by-laws, a club constitution, purpose and to elect officers. Ideas will be heard on possible program ideas as well.

Anyone interested in joining this group and being part of the formation of the new art club is urged to attend. Appetizers will be served and good ideas will be shared.

For more information, call Debi Bonsack at 613-7126 or to get an idea what the Bonsack Gallery offers, go to www.bonsackgallery.com.