Lockwood Cafe and Reliable Street Gallery in Ames are committed to creating a space that encourages community and connection through their shared building. 

Lockwood Cafe runs out of a previously retired grain elevator in an area of Ames where there are very few businesses or walkable community spaces. Reliable Street Gallery is attached to the cafe. 

“While Lockwood and Reliable are only separated by a curtain, the two spaces are meant to coexist and build off of one another,” said Sharon Stewart, Lockwood Cafe’s owner.

Stewart and the owner of Reliable Street Gallery, Lyndsay Nissen, met in college. They each had dreams of their own. Stewart dreamed of running a cafe, and Nissen wanted to open a community gallery. 

“Some of my favorite places or communities to be in, there’s a live, active and engaging art scene, and I feel like Ames has that. It just doesn’t always get seen or feel accessible,” Stewart said. 

Nissen and Stewart both expressed their desire to create an engaging creative environment with their shared space.

“I think that the initial idea for the cafe in relationship to the gallery is that it would be like a way to engage the community and feeling like they have access to the art because a lot of times, galleries can be intimidating and don’t really feel like an inclusive space all the time,” Nissen said. 

Lockwood Cafe is open as a normal cafe during its hours of operation. After hours, the idea is that Lockwood serves as “an auxiliary space for the gallery,” according to Stewart. 

The space hosts various events, including weekly open mic nights on Tuesdays, poetry slam the first Tuesday of the month, dance parties, live music and several art events. 

The space has hosted many art exhibits over the past few months. There was an MFA graduate show, which showcased a mixture of paintings and installations. Local artists have been allowed to showcase their work for exhibition and sell several times throughout the year.

A new addition to the space is a rubber dance floor to allow more classes. Shortly, with the help of a grant from the city, there are plans to redo the space to add mirrors all the way around. These renovations will provide new opportunities for classes and other various events. 

Lockwood and Reliable Street have attracted many Ames citizens to the area as a place to create art, drink coffee and be in the presence of the community. 

With the university nearby, Ames can sometimes feel like just a college town. 

“When we first moved here, that was one of the big disconnects for me is like, yeah, you can be involved in the university, but where’s the space where the university and the community really come together?” Nissen said. 

Ames High SHEPH (Students Helping End Poverty and Hunger) works with Reliable Street volunteers to develop a community garden space during the warmer months. 

Lockwood and Reliable Street aim to be inclusive for all ages, races and gender identities.  

“In a state where not many people look like me or share my culture, I feel safe expressing my true self and sharing my culture with everyone,” said Lockwood Cafe employee Denise Martinez.

Lockwood Cafe and Reliable Street Gallery look forward to hosting new events and engaging with art and the community.

Follow Reliable Street on social media or stop in during Lockwood Cafe’s operating hours and check the space out to learn about upcoming events.