Gallery owner Lauren DeWorde is ready to get back to business.

Her retail gallery, ZaPow, has been on a metaphorical roller coaster for the last year. In June, DeWorde and her artists faced a steep rent increase at the gallery's original downtown space.

With 18 days notice, ZaPow was given three options: Renew the lease for one year at an 18 percent increase, renew for five years at the gradually increasing rate of 24-36 percent, or pay 4 percent more and move out within the next six months. All three options required a security deposit of a full month's rent.

So DeWorde set up a crowdfunding page, hoping to get enough community support to continue her venture — and she was overwhelmed by Asheville's love and generosity.

Though she raised enough money to pay the new security deposit, the gallery owner didn't get to celebrate for long. That day, DeWorde's downtown landlord notified her that the lease would be terminated, citing defamation due to her public fundraising.

But, not to be beat, DeWorde quickly began to scout out a new location for ZaPow and found a new space by August.

She originally planned to be up and running by October — then November, then December, then January. But construction delays on the new building, at 150 Coxe Ave. on the South Slope, kept spoiling her plans for opening.

But now it's official: The gallery walls are in place, the art is on display, the sign reads "open" and DeWorde is inside, welcoming patrons back into ZaPow.

"This move would have been impossible without the support of our community," DeWorde wrote. "Our grand opening reception will be a love letter to our many supporters. Our community's monetary contributions and words of encouragement gave us the stamina to persevere through setbacks and delays."

DeWorde couldn't be happier with her new landlord, "who first helped us minimize our storage costs and then personally helped move much of our art in the final hours before we received our Certificate of Occupancy," she said. "There are often delays with any building project, but our landlord and construction crew have really been there for us through this process."

Though the illustration-heavy pop-art-style gallery is open to customers and visitors, DeWorde has planned a special grand re-opening celebration for June 3.

From 7-9 p.m., the community is invited to stop by and enjoy a free local brew, snack on appetizers from Strada Italiano and listen to tunes from DJ Kutzu, performing live from the gallery's community center and classroom, a space that is brand-new for ZaPow.

Patrons of the GoFundMe campaign who donated to offset costs of the gallery's downtown rent renewal — which was then used to help ZaPow relocate — will be treated to a special art show and receive the artistic rewards promised in the crowdfunding campaign.

"In our new location we have many of our returning artists as well as some brand new ones," DeWorde wrote. "In addition to a larger gallery, ZaPow’s new location includes a 320-square-foot space for storing, shipping and receiving art, two all-gender public bathrooms" and the community/classroom space, which can be rented out to professionals and will also allow the gallery to add to its schedule of professional art development courses.

Artists, teaching artists and other creatives can rent out the space for $20 per hour, or, for ZaPow member artists, for $10 an hour.

"It’s going to be amazing," DeWorde said back in December, talking about her new space and half-singing with excitement. "South Slope is really turning into an amazing place to be, and I'm so excited to be a part of it. ... We're just really excited to be joining that creative energy."