CASSOPOLIS — The hallways of a Cass County government building were filled to the brim this weekend as a new gallery to celebrate local artists from Cass County and beyond was officially unveiled.

Saturday, Cass County hosted an opening reception for the new Cass County Regional Gallery Open Art exhibit. For the celebration, county officials, artists and their families were invited to the county building to enjoy food and music, while observing the new show.

The new gallery is located on the top floor of the Cass County Administration Building, 120 N. Broadway St., Cassopolis. The exhibit displays nearly 50 works of art from 40 artists from Cassopolis, Dowagiac, Niles, Buchanan, South Bend, Mishawaka and beyond. All works displayed in the gallery will be open to the public for viewing during regular business hours Monday through Friday.

“The reception was terrific,” said Tom Rose, a member of the Cass Area Regional Gallery Volunteer Committee, which organized the exhibit. “It just goes to show that Cassopolis really needs a venue like this.”

The reception came after months of planning with the volunteer committee and Cass County officials. County Administrator Jeff Carmen came up with the idea last September as he believed placing a gallery in the hallway of the county building would benefit both the building and local artists.

“I’ve always thought that some art would liven up and bring some humanity to a building that poses a great challenge,” Carmen told Leader Publications in a previous interview. “This is a fantastic opportunity both for the county and area artists that could be quite sustainable.”

Rose described the gallery as a celebration of local art and artists that has no entry or commission fees.

“I think this benefits both the county and the artists,” he said. “I think it is a great opportunity to be able to enjoy art from different artists and view many different styles of art. … I also think this is a great opportunity for artists to show their work to a wide audience for free.”

Now that the Cass County Regional Gallery has its first reception under its belt, Rose said he is confident about the future of the gallery, believing it will host many more exhibits.

“We have a solid foundation,” he said. “We had many, many positive comments and a lot of excitement.”

For any artists who missed applying for the current exhibit, Rose said not to worry; another exhibition will be hosted in April. For more information about how to apply, visit cassareaartists.org. The committee that works with the Cass County Regional Gallery is separate from the Cass Area Artists, and there is no fee to apply.