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Robbinsdale is home to a hub for the arts, though you may have to look hard to find it.

One of the immediate goals for the Robbin Gallery is to replace the sign out on 42nd Street, which now highlights the historic Robbinsdale Library but not the art gallery it houses, said gallery manager and historian Leigh Johnson of Crystal. The new sign should go up this month, he said.

The artists' cooperative hosts 11 exhibitions a year: eight themed solo or small-group shows, two open member shows and a competitive juried show.

On Friday morning, Golden Valley painter Kathy Mogelson was making the final touches to an exhibition of her watercolor botanical art and animal portraits; she carried in cookies and real flowers for the enjoyment of visitors to an opening that night. Though the show was very nearly all in place -- mostly vivid, tumbling close-ups of garden flora -- some details remained. A painting of a lion lay face down on the reception desk, along with several information tags that had yet to be hung.

The cooperative nature of the gallery means that exhibitors set up their own shows and arrange "gallery sitters," mostly volunteer members, to staff the place during its open hours.

The group is in the process of scanning and digitizing decades' worth of gallery scrapbooks, to document the history of the Hennepin Artists of Robbin Gallery, the legal name of the 50-year-old group that has exhibited at the old library since about 1970, and run it since 1972, Johnson said.

At the same time, they're working to expand their scope, changing their nonprofit status to allow them to seek grants to provide additional programming and outreach, including a presence at community events and eventually art classes. Another hope is for private funds for improvements to the nearly 82-year-old city-owned building, he said.

There's nothing in the group's bylaws that stipulates exhibiting artists must be from Hennepin County or even Minnesota; in fact, October's textile show will feature artists from Iowa, Johnson said. But the lack of a paid staff and the requirement that artists be around a lot mean that most are local.

Part of the gallery's mission, however, is to showcase work by "artists that aren't really established, but have developed a pretty solid body of work," Johnson said. "Accomplished, but not established."

"That's me," piped up Mogelson, who said she finds comfort in a gallery that's run by and for artists. "It's just so easy to work with people," she said. "They're all artists. ... We can understand things better, understand each other better than someone who's not an artist. It's a really nice place."

She said she appreciates neighborhood support; as she was hanging her artwork, several neighbors out on walks stopped by to take a look.

"It's a community-oriented gallery," Johnson agreed, even though active members come from as far away as Mound and Shoreview.

For now, gallery leaders have their sights set on the November "Extremely Minnesota" juried show, and on getting proposals for exhibitions in 2013. The deadline for the juried show is Oct. 22; for 2013 proposals, it's Dec. 31. More information is at www.robbingallery.org.

Maria Elena Baca • 612-673-4409