Honors for Art Presence Member
This October, The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce called to artists for paintings of their favorite building Jacksonville. The winning painting, an aerial view of Jacksonville from the Cemetery entitled, “New City Hall,” was created by Desmond Serratore, a respected member of Art Presence.
Serratore’s art will be included in the Chamber’s new release of postcards available in time for the holiday season. Postcards can be purchased at the Visitor Information Center located at 185 N. Oregon St. (next to the Post Office)
Congratulations, Desmond!
October 2021 Art Exhibits and Events
The 8th Annual October Imaginarium is open! This year’s theme, Reality or Illusion?, resulted in a wonderful collection of artwork depicting Autumn, Halloween, and imaginative ideas building upon the theme. The exhibition opened on Friday, September 17, and continues through Halloween. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12–5 pm and Sundays from 10–5 pm. The Imaginarium is always a well-attended, popular show and this year’s collection is a must-see!
Grateful thanks to the Human Bean for their support of this exhibition.
October’s Second Saturday ArtWalk takes place on Saturday, October 9 from 3–6 pm. Some artists will demonstrate their skills outdoors on California Street while others show their work inside a downtown Jacksonville shop. Look for the yellow flags marking participating merchants. The gallery remains open until 6 pm on Saturday for the ArtWalk and opens at 10 am on Sunday for the convenience of Farmer’s Market visitors.
If you can’t make it to the gallery, you can still see a virtual tour on our website, https://art-presence.org. To inquire about the art that moves you or schedule a private gallery viewing, contact Anne Brooke at 541-941-7057 or anne@brookewatercolor.com.
Anne Brooke and Ginna BB Gordon kick off the fall Arts & Letters Zoom chats with a conversation about the next novel in Gordon’s Lavandula Series, “Humming in Spanish,” on Friday, October 22 at 5 pm.
As our annual October show illustrates, making art doesn’t have to be so serious that you can’t have fun. Reserve a Thursday evening with up to 7 of your friends and learn how to paint with watercolors in Anne Brooke’s “Wine and Watercolor” workshop. All art supplies are provided, so simply bring your favorite wine and hors d’oeuvres and enjoy painting in a social atmosphere! $25 per person, vaccination required.
Local Artists: Art Presence has studio spaces available in our Loft. The benefits are many, with reasonable month-to-month rent, convenient location, your own key and water. Please contact Anne Brooke to inquire.
Read MoreGallery Open in February
We are delighted to announce that the gallery will be open in February on a limited basis. February hours are 1–5pm every Friday and Saturday.
We carefully follow all CDC guidelines, so social distancing and masks are required and hand sanitizer is available.
If you are being extra careful, you can still contact Anne Brooke at 541-941-7057 to schedule a private gallery viewing.
As soon as it’s ready, a virtual tour of the exhibition will be available at https://art-presence.org and the gallery’s Facebook page. You can also view our virtual tours on the Jacksonville Review’s website. Look for the Art Presence Art Center Virtual Tour image link in the sidebar at https://jacksonvillereview.com. There is also another link under Art in the main menu.
However you choose to enjoy our February art exhibitions, we hope to see you soon!
Gallery Closure
Celestial Journeys Exhibit and More July News
Celestial Journeys
Celestial Journeys, our show of art in a heavenly theme by Art Presence member artists, opens in the main gallery on Friday, July 5. Our guest exhibit for July is Jacksonville City Council member Ken Gregg, who shows images from his newly published small coffee table book, “A Year in Jacksonville, A Story in Photographs.”
Please join us for a reception for the artists on second Saturday, July 6, from 1–3pm, with wine tasting from Dancin Vineyards. Ken will sign the copy of the book you purchase.
Here are a few of the pieces you can expect to find in these exhibits:
Last Call for FREE Youth Drawing Class!
There is still room for children age 6–12 interested in learning the basics of drawing. Please register now to reserve their seat in Session 2 of our FREE Drawing for Youth class. Session 2 classes take place from 5:30–7:00 pm each Tuesday from July 30 through September 3. Brooke Nuckles, former Education Director for Rogue Gallery and Art Center, heads up this class. Provided materials are made possible by a grant from the Haines and Friends Foundation. Join us for safe, fun and effective classes with experienced art teachers! Stop by the gallery or call Anne Brooke at 541-941-7057 to sign up.
Chamber of Commerce Mixer
Art Presence will host the Chamber of Commerce mixer on Thursday, July 11, from 5– 7pm. The event will be catered by Bella Union.
Calls to Artists
Art Presence calls to artists for our annual October Creative Challenge, an open call for works that will be displayed in our October Imaginarium show. Find all the details in this post.
Art Presence calls to artists for the 7th Annual Angels Show, to be on exhibit as a guest show in December. Angel artists interested in participating in this year’s show should send an email to Anne Brooke to let her know. If you have angel art already prepared, please include images of the works you plan to enter. We will post more details as soon as more details are confirmed.
New Gallery Look!
Check Out Our New Gallery Look!
New Interior – Main Gallery – after adding drywall and painting, adding new carpet, a new hanging system and new art display panels
The Board and member artists of Art Presence are immensely proud of our new interior! Previously, we completely resurfaced the walls—which had been covered with burlap—with drywall and a fresh coat of paint. We also added new carpet throughout the ground floor. The most recent renovations brought new art display panels and a new, more efficient hanging system to the main gallery. In addition to their practical value, the new panels also add more light and an airy feel that dramatically improves the presentation of artwork and the ambience of the main gallery. We’ve moved our Galleria boutique to the front room, too.
New Interior – Galleria at Art Presence – after adding new carpet and a new hanging system
Important Shout-Outs
Many thanks to Rob Buerk and the Board of the Jacksonville Boosters Foundation for granting us the monies to place the new panels in our main gallery. This gift has boosted our professional image and provides our artists with a beautiful ground for their art on display.
Our thanks also go to the City of Jacksonville for a grant from the Bed Tax Fund to place the new hanging system. This allows us to hang more artwork and to be more flexible with the hanging strategies for our bimonthly shows. It will also extend the life of our display panels.
Grand Re-Opening
We invite you to attend our Grand Re-Opening on Saturday, September 1, from 1–3 pm. Do join us as we celebrate the renovations that have transformed our space!
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