First 'Free Little Art Gallery' (FLAG) Launches in Falls Church

To nurture one’s soul and senses, there’s nothing like a little gallery hopping – but this new arts venue in Falls Church is literally a Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG).

In one of the City’s most walkable, tree-lined neighborhoods, at the corner of Hillwood Ave. and Shady Lane, the first free mini community art exchange in Falls Church – think Little Free Library, but for exchanging small-scale artworks – has popped up for all to visit, enjoy, and partake.

It’s called the Free Little Art Gallery of Falls Church City (at freelittleartgallery_fccity) and it’s run by Falls Church residents Megan Eppel and her husband Greg Eppel, who constructed the mini gallery box itself. 

Along the picket fence in front of the Eppel’s home, the freshly painted white gallery spaces showcasing a mini multi-media collection from a variety of artists behind an inviting shop window glass facade can be easily accessed by visitors simply by opening up the hinge on the side of the box to browse the collection, add their own artworks, or take home a piece for themselves.

And there’s actually a romantic story behind the Eppel’s creation of the new FLAG of Falls Church. 

Last Valentine’s Day, Amazon software developer, Greg Eppel, knowing his wife, Megan, is a lover of the arts, promised to construct the little gallery for her and for the community.

“It was a Valentine’s present for my wife,” Eppel told The Falls Church Independent. “She volunteers at the art gallery downtown, Falls Church Arts… She put some stuff out here about a week ago and we’ve had a few folks drop by.”

Greg Eppel insists he’s not an “artist,” however. “I am the least artistic person. [Laughs]. But, I can do some woodwork and I’m pretty happy with the woodwork [on the gallery]. But, I am not an artist at all.”

Inspired by the international FLAG movement, Megan drove around with Greg to look at gallery box designs in nearby neighborhoods. “I actually drove around Arlington because my wife said, ‘You should go look at these two,’ so we actually looked at them and took some pictures and that’s what inspired the design for this one,” he said.

So, Greg just launched into the construction of his Valentine’s Day gift. “I just got some wood from Home Depot and started cutting,” he said. “And this one is like the second or third iteration.”

“What happened to the other two?,” I asked. “Uh, firewood,” he said with a laugh. “The dimensions didn’t work out. This was all trial and error and [the design] was original.” 

But, Greg is pleased to see what the new FLAG of Falls Church has done for the neighborhood. “It adds to the community. People see it when they’re out on their walks and it’s just nice to have people donate their art. And my wife put some of hers in there as well.”

Later, we reached Megan Eppel by phone and she gave more dimension to the romantic backdrop of their story. 

“We actually met in High School in Canada. I drove across the border everyday to attend a little private school my parents wanted me to go to,” she recalled. On the British Columbian side of the border, that’s where Megan met Greg who’s Canadian. 

“We’re actually from the Pacific Northwest originally, and came to Falls Church via Houston. We did a big move to Houston and then Houston wasn’t really working out so we ended up moving to Falls Church when my husband’s work gave him the option to transfer. And we love it here. We chose it because it’s a bit more temperate than Houston, so we don’t get quite as hot, and we also get the cold. And there’s a real sense of community here. The school system is great. So, that’s why we ended up here.”

Megan and Greg have two kids in Falls Church City’s public schools, one at Mary Ellen Henderson and the other at Oak Street Elementary.

So, how are the kids enjoying the gallery? “My daughter is very excited. She’s very artistic and my son was actually very thrilled because he loves lobsters and one of the artists had sent some woodblock prints [of lobsters], so he snagged one for himself,” Megan said. She’s  also hoping her son will channel his energy into some donations to the gallery. “He follows after his dad, so he’s very analytical. But, I’m trying to get him to make something and use some of his creativity to express himself. So, we’ll see.”

Megan described the inspiration for creating Falls Church’s first FLAG. “My husband and I, we really love how Falls Church as a community just really supports the arts, and so, when I saw that the FLAG of Arlington had really taken off – and it’s not too far away from us – I thought, ‘Oh, Falls Church needs one of those as well.’ And we thought, what a great way to help support the community and make art accessible as well to everybody, because, as it says in the name, everything is free, and is just on an exchange [basis] and if you don’t feel artistic you’re more than welcome to just come by and take a look and if something tickles your fancy you can take it home.”

For Megan, the FLAG is also important for the community. “I think, apart from the sense of beauty it provides, it also gives people a sense to express their creativity and to show how different people perceive different things. You and I can look at the same object and choose to express it in completely different ways. So, it’s great to kind of bring the many viewpoints all together and just create a sense of community.”

Megan also doesn’t describe herself as an “artist,” per se. “I dabble,” she says to a laugh. “I kind of play with everything. I play with mixed-media, watercolor, acrylic painting. I started in glasswork, though. So that’s kind of how that came about. My husband says he’s not artistic, but it’s just a different kind of art. It’s creating the gallery itself.” 

At Falls Church Arts which Megan describes as “very supportive,” she’s “taken classes and helped behind the scenes.” However, she said, “I haven’t gotten brave enough to submit any of my personal art, but I’ll get there one day! [Laughs].” 

So far, the reactions to the Eppel’s new gallery have been super-positive. “I did have somebody stop by when I was actually bringing my son home from school. So that was nice. I got a chance to talk to her. And that’s kind of where the first [Instagram] Reel for the FLAG came about,” Megan said. 

“And we’ve also gotten mail from different artists and one of the other FLAGs that’s in Old Town Alexandria,” she continued. “She shared some of her artwork. So, it’s just a great network for people to exchange, you know. It’s fantastic. I’m sure there will be more as more people find out about it.”

Creating the gallery has also widened Megan’s social network in exciting new ways. “I’ve talked to the manager of the actual FLAG website and I’ve had contact with a bunch of other Free Little Art Gallery curators all around the world, which is actually really cool… Just digitally, through Instagram, it’s amazing, everybody reaches out and just chats – it’s a great community!,” she said. “I do think that the very local galleries have kind of influenced how I wanted it to look and kind of how we run our social media pages and get the word out and that sort of thing.”

In her roles as Curator and Social Media Manager for the FLAG, Megan has had some challenges, but mostly it’s been smooth sailing so far. “I’ve learned that [Instagram] Reels are a bit more complicated than they look, to make them look alright. [Laughs]. But, other than that, everybody has been really welcoming online and the other FLAG curators and media managers have been really great about suggesting ways to do things and what to talk about and that sort of thing.”

Though Megan currently works at home taking care of the Eppel’s kids, she’s an Anthropological Archeologist by training, with a degree in the subject from the University of British Columbia. “I actually worked at the Museum of Anthropology at the University, so, I’m getting to dust off those curatorial skills,”  she said with a laugh. 

With art for the gallery starting to arrive by mail, Megan’s curatorial duties have mounted. “I’m actually holding on to a couple of pieces right now,” she said. “That’s why I keep inviting people to come and get some of the artworks. I am also going to be adding a shelf for more display area, on the inside of the gallery on the back wall, kind of like a picture rail…. And I’ll probably take out a piece of mine that’s been in there since the beginning. And I’ll exchange some newer pieces in.” 

We asked Megan to explain the role of social media in the project. “So, anybody is invited to drop off art and display it, whether they’re a professional artist, or they just like to dabble, or even if they’re kids. I’m hoping to talk to some of the art teachers at some of the schools to see if there are any of the kids who would like to be involved,” she said. “And if you want to be tagged on our Instagram account, you leave your little Instagram handle on the back [of your artwork]. Or you can also direct-message me on Instagram and say, ‘Hey, this is my piece of artwork I dropped off.’"

For artwork contributions, Megan suggests “probably nothing larger than a 4”x6” or a 5”x7”, for sure,” she said. “But, I’ve seen some other ones that have had some teeny-tiny little artworks that are, like, 1”x1” or 2”x2” and that’s just amazing to me that people can think like that,” she added.  

“And, In terms of content, I would try to keep it PG-13, just because we do have family and people and kids going around to look at it. But, other than that it’s pretty open to interpretation,” she continued. “You know, that may change if we suddenly have an influx of things that are deemed inappropriate, but as of right now people can use their judgment.”

Megan, Greg, and the kids are all hoping folks will visit their Free Little Art Gallery of Falls Church. “I’d love people to come by,” Megan said. “Hillwood is very walkable. And also we have lots of parking around us. So, we’d love for people just to stop by and check us out, even if it’s on your commute home or if you’re driving your kids to soccer practice at Larry Graves [Park]. It would be great for the community just to stop by.”

By Christopher Jones