LINCOLN – With a 100 percent disability rating, David Mandrevelis easily could do nothing.

But doing nothing wouldn’t be easy for Mandravelis.

So with the aid of a $5,000 grant from the state Department of Labor and a $134,000 mortgage loan, the 54-year-old former sign painter from Prentiss Township has put himself into the art world by opening a gallery on Main Street.

“Hey, if the town mill can come back, so can I,” Mandrevelis said Wednesday of his back troubles, which developed from several motorcycle and skiing accidents and limit his ability to handle heavy work. “Life’s too short to be sitting around doing nothing. I’m too young to be going into the rocking chair.”

Madrevelis’ gallery, Evad Images, features the work of local photographers, painters and woodworkers, including Arthur Taylor, Paul Thibodeau, Stacie Mann and Dana and Gail Lane.

A wide range of work, including watercolors, still lifes, nature scenes, abstracts and impressionistic pieces, is on display. Picasso and Van Gogh prints also are available.

To Mandrevelis, the Lincoln area is teeming with art. His enthusiasm is evident in his rapid-fire conversations about local artists and their work, plus his own photo restoration efforts, done with his computer and scanner.

“For such a small amount of people, there is a really large number of incredibly talented people here,” said Mandrevelis. “It’s great to be able to give them someplace to display their work.”

Mandrevelis bought the building, the former home of a Radio Shack store, in July. He remodeled it extensively before opening last month.

With several gift, furniture and crafts shops nearby, plus a jewelry store and a few restaurants, Mandrevelis hopes that his part of downtown will eventually become a place that draws Canadian tourists and others looking for authentic local art, like similar downtowns in Camden and Rockport.

“There’s really no reason why that can’t happen here,” said Taylor, a painter and illustrator.