CHAPEL HILL - Laurie Paolicelli, the executive director of the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, visited Boone one day not too long ago, and she noticed the bustling business a downtown space called the Hands Gallery was doing.

Hands is an artist's cooperative of 18 Boone-area artists. They take turns working shifts in the gallery, which sells their work, as well as other artists' pieces on a consignment basis. A percentage of sales pays the rent and other expenses.

The day Paolicelli was there was typical.

"It was a weekday," Paolicelli said, "but it was packed with tourists."

She couldn't help but envision something like that in downtown Chapel Hill. Martha Shannon, the head of the Orange County Artists Guild, had the same idea.

"Our ideas were on the same track," Paolicelli said. "I think it would be a wonderful idea for the central part of the town."

A public meeting at 1 p.m. today at 109 E. Franklin St., in the former Rite Aid space, will explore how that idea might be made real.

Among the participants will be Zoe Nelson and Debbi Ordan, two jewelers who are members of the Hands Gallery in Boone. The Visitors Bureau arranged for them to attend and share ideas.

"Chapel Hill's a college town like we are," said Nelson, who attended UNC and has family here. "If you have a location with good foot traffic, and if you get good publicity to get it started, I don't see any reason it wouldn't work there."

Paolicelli agreed. Chapel Hill's strong identity with both the arts and its downtown makes that area the logical place to think about establishing an artists co-op, she said. Such an operation, she said, would bring together the arts, economic development and tourism.

"It would showcase who we are," she said. "There's such a wealth of talent around here, and Franklin Street is the face of the town. When visitors come here, that's where they go.

"It's all about accessibility. It's not unlike a farmers' market. Instead of sending people driving all over the countryside to different farms, you have the farmers come to a central location in town to sell their wares. This is the same idea; you have artists come to a central location in town to sell their wares."

Paolicelli said Dwight Bassett, Chapel Hill's economic development officer, has been involved in the effort, lining up the meeting space and positing the possibility of a co-op that combines artists' studios and a gallery space.

"Our vision, ideally, would be that you would have a section with studios, where you could go and watch artists at work, glassblowers or potters making pieces," Paolicelli said. "Then you'd have another section where artwork would be displayed and sold. It would be a great addition to downtown. We'd want a lot of diversity: painters, potters, different kinds of art."

Nelson said that Hands Gallery, in its 34th year, does not have studio spaces. But she said Paolicelli was on the right track in emphasizing variety.

"You need a really good mix of stuff," she said. "We've found that if all your art is two-dimensional, you don't sell as well as you do if you also have pottery, jewelry, clothing and other things like that."

Hands' members contribute a percentage of their sales -- normally 10 percent, although in the current economic slump they've bumped that up to 15 to 18 percent -- to pay the rent, keep the lights on and buy supplies. Consignment artists don't have to work shifts, but a larger percentage of their sales stays with the gallery.

"It's certainly the best deal in town for artists," Nelson said. "To show in most other venues you have to rent space -- and the rent is due whether you sell anything or not. This way, you pay a percentage of your sales, so your contribution depends on how well you're selling.

She said only Chapel Hill can determine whether an artists co-op might succeed here. It's important, she said, to have members who understand both the commitment and the probable rewards.

"You have to have dedicated people, and you have to have realistic expectations," she said.

An understanding property owner helps, too, she said.

"We have a great landlord who has been willing to work with us," she said. "He knows we're a bunch of poor artists."

dave.hart@nando.com or 932-8744

IF YOU GO

Today's meeting begins at 1 p.m. at 109 E. Franklin St. For more information, call 245-2335.