by donald dusinberre imartsyfartsy@gmail.com
Without a doubt, St. Augustine is densely peppered with art galleries. As the oldest city this side of the Atlantic, they can boast more years of history to tap into for inspiration, and the ghosts of the past will always fill every breath.
It’s hard to explore the future, even for artists. Physiologically speaking, no one can create work that explicitly represents the future, because every bit of knowledge ever stored is already history. Even Leonardo, renowned for his futuristic sketches of helicopters, submarines and sno-cone machines, could essentially only draw from what knowledge that was already revealed, whether by nature or contemporaries. In other words, all art is past tense, and St. Augustine is the perfect place to mine the past for subject matter and enlightenment.
I went to St. Augustine in search of the newest, most unique art. There are plenty of galleries peddling seascapes and Thomas Kincade rip-offs, but I was looking for the galleries housing the freshest ideas. You know, just a little old. These are a couple of great ones I discovered:
Just north of the tourist traps on and around King Street, Butterfield Garage is a sizeable space currently displaying the work of quite a few impressive artists. Ranging from abstract paintings to charcoal figure drawings, this gallery suits a wide range of patrons and wallets. Some of my favorite artists currently in the Garage are Stephanie Shieldhouse and Angelika S. Luginbuhl.
Right next door to Butterfield Garage is the Energy Lab. Founded in 2001, this co-op art gallery displays work exclusively from local artists. These artists also work to care for the gallery, which is divided into many separate rooms, much like an indoor mall. Collectively, the Lab exhibits a huge array of artwork, including woodcarvings, paintings, photographs, and reverse glass paintings. With a different artist featured each month, the Energy Lab is an ideal place to check the pulse of St. Augustine’s art scene. A few notable artists currently on display in the Energy Lab are Nikole Trouble Zelneronok and David Krafcik.
The hippest of all the galleries in town, the Gallery at Screen Arts boasts a clean, modern, colorful space displaying professional artists from all over the country as well as right here in North Florida. Their displays usually change on a monthly basis, so check in often to catch the newest artwork.
Not only does the Gallery at Screen Arts display art, they also create art events with a purpose. For instance, October will bring us Keep a Breast, a fundraiser to promote cancer awareness. They will be casting female torsos and distributing them to artists for their distinct decorative touch. The casts will then be sold at auction, with the proceeds going toward cancer awareness. Some big names in art and entertainment will be participating, like Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo, Rugrats) and Derek Hess. Check out keep-a-breast.org for more information.
Here are some (but certainly not all) of the other galleries in St. Augustine that may be displaying your new favorite work of art. No matter what your taste in art, you’ll definitely find something somewhere in St. Augustine.
Rachel Thompson Gallery
139 King Street
57 Treasury
144-1 King Street
Gurell Galleries
142B King Street
St. Augustine Art Association
22 Marine Street
Absolute Americana
77 Bridge Street
Aviles Street Gallery
11C Aviles Street
Mullet Beach Gallery
51 Cordova Street
Catch 22 Gallery
5 Cordova Street
Carrera Gallery
9 Carrera Street
Sydney McKenna Gallery
5 Inlet Place
Tripp Harrison Gallery
22 Cathedral Place
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