Business Profile: Gizmos Art

Lyndi Stewart McNulty's family has been a part of the Westminster community for more than 200 years. McNulty is the owner of Gizmos Art on Main Street and an active member, director or committee member of more than 12 local organizations.

She talked with Patch about watching Westminster's artistic community evolve and about the importance of being involved in the community as a volunteer.

Patch: How long have you been in business?
McNulty: 35 years

Patch: Where did you come up with the name Gizmos?
McNulty: Gizmos was originally an antique and art business and we were the first people to sell collectibles. My mother would tell people that we had "gizmos" instead of collectibles. That's how we got started up. It's not that cat's name, everyone thinks it's the cat's name.

Patch: How have you seen the Westminster community change?
McNulty: My family has been in the area for over 200 years. I think there's more development in the community. When I grew up, there was farm land everywhere, half the farm lands out there were stone instead of blacktop like they are now. 

Patch: Do you think Westminster is a good place for an artistic community?
McNulty: That's the one of the focuses of the city of Westminster. They just did an overlay zone at the West end of town where Gizmos is located, and it's an art district. And if you live in your home, either that you rent or you own, you can make 50 percent of it an art gallery legally now.

Patch: What's your favorite aspect of the community?
McNulty: I have several favorite things: the small town atmosphere, I like having two colleges--I think that adds a lot to our town, I like having an Art's council, and the artisitic community and a lot of the artistic things going on. A lot of artists are doing plein air painting now, which means to paint outdoors. You see artists painting in town, and we'll eventually have events where we invite artists from all over to paint.

Patch: Are you involved in the community?
McNulty: I'm on a quite a few nonprofit committees and charity committees, because I want to give back to the community. I'm on the Board of Directors for The Arc, I'm on the committee for Starry Night's Carroll Community College. I'm also in the Kiwanis Club of Greater Westminster, we raise money and and donate it back to the community for children and other local projects. 

Patch: Any memorable moments at Gizmos or with your community involvement?
McNulty: The Art's Council arranged for some of my artwork to be on display near the Delegate's offices in Annapolis, and Delegate Robinson from Baltimore City bought the rights to one my pieces of art for her book cover.

Patch: Any personal thoughts you want to share?
McNulty: I agree with a friend of mine, Tom Welliver, that everybody should be on two nonprofit committees, any two you like, or any charity event to help our community and to give back. And if you want a community to be better, you have to help.