OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The Gibson Social Club opened in 2021, but it's located in a historic building filled with a century of community events and businesses.
- The Gibson Social Club hosts weddings, community events and public cocktail nights.
- The Gibson's building is over 100 years old.
- This weekend, the Social Club will host the fourth annual Oshkosh Art Collective Art Show
(The following is a transcription of the full web story)
Built over 100 years ago, the building at 537 N Main St. has been the home to several different businesses and events. Originally, it was home to Gibson Auto, a downtown car dealership.
Since 2021, it’s been the venue for the Gibson Social Club.
“It’s fun to just have a space for people to come to just to socialize and get to know the world of Oshkosh,” venue director Elle Coons says.
Coons says the new owners hope to honor the history of the space.
“People who worked at Gibson Auto, we’ve had them come in and be like, ‘Oh, I remember this here,’ so to be able to have those stories and just build on this space throughout the generations is awesome,” she says.
The Gibson Social Club hosts weddings, community events and public cocktail nights. The goal is to attract people downtown.
“It really brings a life to this space down here,” Coons says.
This weekend, the Social Club will host the fourth annual Oshkosh Art Collective Art Show.
“Just the energy of the event is inspirational,” Jessica Lomena, founder of the Oshkosh Art Collective says. “We have a huge population of creative people as far as artists and musicians go.”
The event will highlight 37 local artists, including Madisen Potratz, who owns Good Art for Good pottery. She donates a portion of each piece she sells to local nonprofits.
“I like to really make functional work, where it’s beautiful on display but then people can also use it,” she says.
It’s local painter Eric Quick-Laughlin’s first art show with the collective. He says it’s a great time for the community to engage with local artists.
“People don’t just want to buy art online, they want to come out, they want to socialize,” he says.
Coons says overall, the community events hosted at the Gibson Social Club help make Oshkosh unique.
“A lot of downtowns start to look the same, but Oshkosh has these really cool buildings that have been made into really awesome spaces,” she says.
More information on the upcoming art show and other events can be found on the Gibson’s website.
