An open retail space at the Colony Mill Marketplace was like a canvas waiting for a painter. It was a large space with brick walls, carpeted floors and high ceilings. And Keene resident Jim Murphy knew just what to do with it. Murphy opened Murphy Arts in the space that formerly housed Dilly’s for Kids.

Murphy’s goal for the business is to create a true nonprofit community arts resource, and the gallery’s opening reception in November helped that goal become reality. Murphy put out a sign-up sheet at the event soliciting volunteers to help run the gallery, and the response was overwhelming. “It was my grand experiment,” he said.

From that list came Carol Packwood, the gallery’s volunteer coordinator; Carmela Azzaro, mailing-list coordinator and former art teacher in the Keene school district; and Kim Shaw, press release coordinator and a former gallery owner. Also helping man the gallery are art collectors, artists and art enthusiasts.

“I wanted to give local artists exposure,” Murphy said, and above and beyond giving them wall space in the gallery, Murphy includes links to their Web sites from the Murphy Arts site.

Murphy is an artist himself — he has been painting in oil since he was young and has a degree in art. He calls his style impressionistic, influenced by the first Monet painting he saw beyond the doors of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art on a school field trip. He now paints in acrylic and is inspired by the nature outside his back door and beyond, “from the green mountains of Vermont to the rocky coast of Maine,” as stated on his Web site.

When he’s not painting, Murphy, a grandfather of four, works full-time as an oncology nurse at Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene. He has worked there for the past 18 years. The rest of the time he sings and wails on his guitar as the front man for Murphy’s Blues. Murphy has performed with his son, Jeff, the band’s bassist, for more than 10 years.

Murphy’s Arts opening exhibit included botanical oil paintings by Louise Rath. The current 60-piece show includes Murphy’s work along with that of pastel artist Chris Reid of Jaffrey and oil painter Dick Fisher of Amherst — both are full-time artists. Murphy invited Reid to show because he is a fan of her work, and Fisher is a friend of Reid’s. As far as future shows, Murphy will be selective of work but open to different media, including fiber arts, sculpture or photography.

In addition to hosting future exhibits, Murphy plans to participate in Keene’s annual Art Walk downtown in June.

Murphy’s theory as to why the arts community has been so receptive to the opening of Murphy Arts and to volunteering is because they are able to connect artists with their buying public or, if they are former art teachers or gallery owners, to stay connected with the arts. “Volunteers like the contact with people,” Murphy said.

u Murphy Arts, in Keene’s Colony Mill Marketplace at 222 West St., is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. A reception with the artists is planned for Friday, Jan. 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery. Volunteers are needed; for more information, e-mail jmurphy@ne.rr.com.