The Creative Heart of Lambertville
The Artists of the Third Floor at the People’s Store
If you’ve ever wandered the historic floors of the People’s Store Antiques Center in Lambertville, New Jersey, you already know it’s a place filled with discovery. With four floors, over 50 dealers, and antiques spanning centuries, the building itself—dating back to 1839—is a destination for collectors, decorators, and curious explorers.
But many visitors don’t realize that something equally special is happening upstairs.
On two separate third floors, beyond the antiques and historic charm, you’ll find a vibrant creative community: working artist studios and a contemporary gallery where art is not only displayed—it’s being created in real time.
Both of the third floors have quietly become one of the most inspiring corners of Lambertville’s thriving art scene.
A Place Where Art Is Alive
Unlike traditional galleries where finished work simply hangs on the wall, the third floor of the People’s Store offers something rare: direct access to working artists.
Visitors can step into studios, meet the artists, ask questions, and see works in progress. Paint is still wet. Ideas are still evolving. Every studio reflects the personality and imagination of the artist who works there.
Eleanor Voorhees
A longtime presence in Lambertville’s art community, Eleanor Voorhees brings an imaginative and deeply personal approach to her work.
Her paintings often blend local landscapes, whimsical scenes, and mixed-media elements. She frequently incorporates found objects—buttons, jewelry, pencils, and fragments of everyday life—into richly textured compositions.
There’s a sense of storytelling in her art. Each piece feels like a small world built from observation, memory, and curiosity. Visitors to her studio often discover that the objects embedded in her paintings have histories of their own—echoing the antique treasures found throughout the rest of the building.
Christina Sorace MacKinnon
In striking contrast to traditional imagery, Christina Sorace MacKinnon creates bold contemporary abstract paintings that pulse with movement and emotion.
Her work explores the relationship between structure and spontaneity. Layers of color, gesture, and texture interact across the canvas, creating compositions that feel alive and constantly shifting.
Christina’s paintings are known for their powerful color fields and energetic brushwork, inviting viewers to interpret the work in their own way—finding their own rhythm within the movement of paint.
Her studio brings a distinctly modern voice into the historic setting of the People’s Store.
Johanna Furst
Johanna Furst adds another unique dimension to the creative mix on the third floor.
Her work reflects the independent spirit that has long defined Lambertville’s artistic community. Like many artists who work in the building, Johanna’s process is exploratory and evolving, often inspired by the environment around her—the Delaware River, the town’s architecture, and the eclectic atmosphere of the People’s Store itself.
Visitors stepping into her studio often find works in progress that reveal the thought and experimentation behind the finished pieces.
The Sophia Stef Gallery
Adding even more creative energy to the third floor is the Sophia Stef Gallery, a contemporary exhibition space featuring rotating shows of emerging and established artists.
The gallery presents a diverse range of work including:
Painting
Sculpture
Mixed media
Works on paper
Experimental installations
Because the gallery sits alongside the working studios, visitors can experience both sides of the art world—curated exhibitions and the raw creative process happening just steps away.
A Hidden Cultural Gem
Lambertville has long been known as one of the region’s great art towns, but the third floor of the People’s Store offers something truly special.
Here you’ll find:
Working artist studios
A rotating contemporary gallery
Conversations with artists
Creativity unfolding in real time
It’s a reminder that art isn’t just something to look at or collect—it’s something to experience.
So the next time you visit the People’s Store, take the stairs all the way to the top.
Among the antiques and history, you’ll discover something just as valuable:
the living, breathing creativity of Lambertville’s artists.