A tiny gallery downtown is quietly serving the local artists’ community from under the umbrella of the established nonprofit Saratoga Arts Center.

The Gallery Shop, a sort of consignment store for fine art, has existed in the Saratoga Arts Center at 320 Broadway since the center took over the former library building in 1996.

Saratoga Arts relaunched the shop about a year ago and has been displaying for sale a variety of handmade pieces created by local artists throughout the Capital Region and the North Country. Each month, about 50 artists are represented in the shop, which simply consists of a few bookshelves in a corner of the larger art gallery.

Director of Grants and Community Services Adrianna Flax runs the Gallery Shop while Exhibitions Coordinator Elizabeth Dubben runs the actual gallery.

“I saw the Gallery Shop as an untapped resource to drive membership and give the artists a display for their work,” said Flax, who joined Saratoga Arts about three years ago.

In the shop, there are silkscreen printed pillows, glass wear, ceramics, jewelry and silk scarves, as well as original recordings, stationary and books by local authors.

Formerly, the Gallery Shop accepted arts and crafts from artists at any level, but Flax now facilitates a submission process. She often sources art from Art in the Park events locally and on www.etsy.com, and typically accepts items that are priced for less than $100.

“These pieces are all handmade and there are no reproductions because we want the buyer to have a feel for the artists’ hand,” she said.

To submit work, artists must apply for a $40 annual membership at Saratoga Arts. Artists take 70 percent of each item’s sale and Saratoga Arts takes 30 percent. Those proceeds are used to run the gallery.

For information about submissions to the Gallery Shop, e-mail Flax at aflax@saratoga-arts.org. For more information about Saratoga Arts and its classes, exhibits and programs, call 584-4132 or go to saratoga-arts.org.