Patrons who regularly visit The Art Lounge Gallery on Reynolds Street might be doing a double take on their next visit.
The shop, which opened in August 2009, has recently undergone an overhaul. The gallery’s walls have been repainted from an off-white to a pure white, and the walls have been patched. An old antique window that once served as a makeshift wall in the gallery also has been removed, opening up the gallery’s walkable space.
The gallery’s co-op of artists decided to do the overhaul in February.
“We wanted to freshen the look up and keep things alive and moving,” Eric Barber, co-op president, said. “It’s nice to see things with fresh eyes.”
All of the artwork that lined the gallery’s walls has been rehung and reorganized. Opening up the gallery space allowed the co-op to bring in room for a guest artist, as well as two more permanent artists.
Prior to the overhaul, the gallery had artists who worked in mediums including paint, photography, jewelry, leather works and knife works. The gallery has since grown from 11 to 13 artists, and Barber hopes that the gallery will eventually have 15 to 16 regular artists, plus a different guest artist every month.
The co-op also is interested in attracting artists of different mediums, including artisans and sculptors. Artists are selected after the approval of the majority of the co-op. Artists are approved based on the quality of their work and their ability to work as members of a team.
“The goal is always to attract more artists,” Colleen Justin, a co-op member, said. “We also wanted to create an awareness of the gallery.”
In the future, the co-op plans to update the font and color of the lettering on the outside of the gallery and utilize the back room of the building. As time goes on, the co-op will consider expanding the gallery’s hours.
“Once the back room is done, we will have room for at least three more permanent artists,” Barber said. “We have a
goal of providing art for the community and giving artists a place to host their artwork.”
An “Art After Dark” event was held at the gallery in April, which served as an unveiling of the gallery’s new look.
“(Patrons) just really liked the open feel,” Barber said. “The reaction we got is what we were going for. About 100 to 125 people came through that night.”
“It’s a lot easier for people to move,” Charlie Galvin, another co-op member, said. He and his wife, artist Rebecca Nipper, spearheaded the gallery’s re-painting endeavors. “It’s easier to see and view the art. People can step back and visualize it.”
The gallery is looking to host more events, as well. In June, the gallery will start hosting live drawing classes, where artists can practice drawing live models for a low fee.
“Those will be held every month,” Barber said. “They are open to the public.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.