Press Articles about Art Uptown Gallery Members

Anne Abgott is having a one woman show at the Bird Key Yacht Club through the 9th of Feb visitors welcome. Anne recently won the Winsor Newton Award in the National Watercolor show in Brea California; she also attained Signature status and was chosen for the traveling show. Anne and Karen Case will also be in an exhibition titled A PAINTER AND A POTTER; the show will open on Feb 2nd at The Studio on Pine Ave with the opening reception on the 12th of Feb from 3 to 6. The show runs from Feb 2 to Feb 23rd. Anna said, "The Jan/Feb issue of WATERCOLOR ARTISTS MAGAZINE, has 8 pages on me and my book. The Jan/Feb ARTIST MAGAZINE has a 1 page spread."

Sarasota, Fla. - Dec. 22, 2009 - Art Uptown on lower Main Street, Sarasota, today announced that one of its newest gallery members, Jon Greeley of Sarasota, was awarded two prizes at the 6th Annual Faces & Figures Show sponsored by the Visual Arts Center inPunta Gorda, Florida.

Greeley was awarded First Prize for his portrait entitled "Megaera," an 18x24 oil on canvas. He also received the Bowles Portrait of Excellence Award for his portrait "Katie's Mom," a 16 x 20 oil on canvas. An awards reception was held at the Visual Arts Center on Dec. 10.

"Sophisticated color and design, done with insight and skill while honestly recording the subject," is how Master and International Judge Edward Jonas, characterized Greeley's paintings. Jonas, a painter and sculptor, is co-founder and National Vice Chairman of the Portrait Society of America.

Upon learning of the two awards, Greeley quipped, "I guess after 50 years of painting, I finally got it right!" The painter recently was welcomed as a member at Art Uptown, Sarasota's oldest continuously operating fine art gallery.

The Faces & Figures Show, showing 135 major media pieces of art, including photography, runs through Dec. 30 at the Visual Arts Center, 210 Maud Street in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Barrington R. DeMers at the Harmony Gallery
Sept 6th - Oct 16th 2008 Hall, West Coast Symphony , Sarasota, Florida

Ann Abgott at Art Center Manatee
209 9th St W, Bradenton, Florida

darlingcolor_400

Julie Hanson's plein air painters.
Womans Resource Center, Sarasota
hanson_wrc_artshow_400

Eleanor Merritt at MCC Fine Art Gallery
5840 26th St W, Bradenton, Florida

Herald Tribune Article published Dec 16, 2007

Raku teapot by Karen Case

Article published Dec 16, 2007
Raku teapot by Karen Case

Leadership: Ingrid Petri, manager

Art Uptown
1367 Main St., Sarasota
Founded: 1980

Membership: By invitation and jury selection only. Membership has been as high as 34, but space demands in the gallery led the organization to let membership decline a bit through attrition. Presently, 28 artists are members. Betty Altmann and Richard Capes are longtime members, although not among the founders.

Online: E-mail: artuptown @verizon.net. Web site: http://www.artuptown.com/

History: Art Uptown was founded as a co-op art gallery in 1980 by a group of 11 artists working in a wide range of media. The space originally had been a shoe store; when Art Uptown took over, the artists used the downstairs space as a sales gallery and the upstairs space as a studio.

What's new: A series of single- artist exhibitions to showcase members' works. Up this month are ceramics by Karen Case. Nature photographer Michael Sandiford will have a two-week exhibition beginning Dec. 28.

Why you should go: If you meet Petri on the street and ask why you should stop by the gallery, she will tell you that "it's a wonderful opportunity" to be there with the artists. "We have such a bunch of very talented, interesting artists. It really makes my life very worthwhile."

Petri is not an artist herself, but is a collector, "and this is a terrible place to be," she joked. "I love art and I love to be surrounded by art."

Biggest challenge: "It's to get the public in, to see the galleries, to participate more," said Petri. Arts Day in January helps, because it attracts thousands of people to downtown Sarasota.

Most surprising aspect: The longevity of the gallery is first on Petri's list, followed by "the interaction between the artists, the comradeship, how they work together, how they work to keep the gallery going."

-- Susan Rife

Barrington R. DeMers - Digital Art Exhibition November 2007 Unity Church Gallery

Barrington R. DeMers - Digital Art Exhibition The Gallery at Metro Orlando Fl

Jacquie Clark is to be congratulated on being elevated to the rank of Signature

Member of the National Watercolor Society.

In the September/October Florida Suncoast Watercolor Society exhibition in Long Boat Key Center for the Arts, both Anne Abgott and Douglas H Teller recieved Merit Awards.

In the recent Women's Contemporary Artist exhibition at the Selby Gardens Gallery, several members of Art Uptown participated. There member are: Jamie Friedli (Merit Award), Eleanor Merritt, Jacquie Clark, Elizabeth van Riper, and Anne Abgott.

Nancy Hawkins is having particular sucess with her new series of acrylic painting on canvas,
based on the theme of Japanese kimonos. The inspiration for these images comes
from Nancy's having lived in Japan from age 11 until she was 22.