Aaron Stone has a vision. He wants to revitalize the Frog Level area of Waynesville, and he sees his new art gallery as a key to that goal.

Gallery 262 opened on January 21. About 300 people showed up for the event. Aaron says he was elated by the turnout. "For a cold January night in Frog Level, I think bringing in that many people is a great sign of things to come."

Aaron says he had never thought about opening an art gallery until he was recently approached with the idea by his father, David Stone, who is an artist. Aaron had been painting houses but recent back problems had him looking for his next career.

"This building had been sitting empty for at least a year and my dad said he thought it would be a good gallery space," Aaron says. "Dad knew a lot of artists personally, so he had connections in the local art world. We had the space plus the artists, so we wanted to move forward."

Aaron and David went from signing the lease to the grand opening in about seven weeks. "It's all happened quickly, and we think this is just the start," Aaron says.

By summer of 2012, Aaron hopes Frog Level will experience similar success to that enjoyed by River Arts District in Asheville. "They turned things around quickly down there," Aaron says. "There's no reason we can't do that here. We have a lot of talented entrepreneurs here in Frog Level and we're excited about the potential."

Gallery 262 has 17 artists showing their works and Aaron is proud that "about 90 percent" are from Haywood and Jackson counties.

"We definitely believe in promoting and supporting the local art scene," Aaron says. "And we wanted a lot of diversity. We were looking for the best of the best local or regional artists in a variety of mediums and styles. Even though some of what we have here is not my personal preference, I think it represents the top art in that medium."

Another goal of the gallery is to have a mix of seasoned artists with people who had not shown their work in galleries before. "We have a guy like Ronald Brunsvold who is a fantastic photographer but who has never shown in a gallery. And there are people like Jere Smith, who is an amazing woodworker—people who don't even think of themselves as artists yet their work is unquestionably art."

In addition to Brunsvold and Smith, other artists currently exhibiting include Jean Marie Baldwin, Patti Best, Nancy Fleming, Matt Fernandt, Pamela Haddock, Rebecca Hellman, Joe Frank McKee, Cynthia Markert, Carol Branton Morrow, Barbara Rischmiller-Brook, Margaret Roberts, David Stone, Carolyn Taylor, Dan & Wendy Wright, and Silvia Williams.

With so many artists, Gallery 262 offers an array of art that Aaron says is "affordable and accessible to the average person." You can see charcoal, pastel, watercolor, pottery, jewelry, stained glass, and more. "We try to mix up the artists and styles but maintain a real balance visually," Aaron says.

While the gallery exudes diversity, Aaron is not content. "We want to continue to have mediums you don't normally see," he says. "I'd like to explore things such as blacksmithing. We love traditional art and artists but we want to blend all of that with things that might stretch people. We want to sometimes have an edge. We want to push without alienating people."

Aaron and his father have high hopes for Gallery 262 and the Frog Level area in general. "We can't wait to see this area build up as an arts district," Aaron says, "and we are looking forward to being in the middle of it."

Gallery 262 is located at 262 Depot Street in Waynesville. For more information call 828.452.6100.