Atascadero Art Association gets a new gallery
Atascadero Art Association has now has a new location for the gallery: 5820 Traffic Way. The group has been without a gallery since April 2014, just before the library closed its doors to move to its new location on Capistrano Avenue.
The association will share a space with Boyd & Bradley Art Studio. The art studio, which specializes in art classes and art parties, will occupy the back part of the unit. The association will use the front part, which used to house Boyd & Bradley’s consignment store.
“It used to be our consignment shop with all the different artists’ [work, but] we decided to go in a different [direction],” Boyd & Bradley owner Tisha Smith said.
The partnership between the art association and Boyd & Bradley came about when members of the art association went into Boyd & Bradley.
“The Atascadero Art Association came in one day and said they were looking at the space down the street, but said it was too big and too expensive,” Smith said. “I knew we were making changes in this space, so we started talking and decided it’d be a good fit.”
The organization took in pieces for its first show on Wednesday. Each show for a period of three months and the opening receptions will be coordinated with the Atascadero Art & Wine Tour. The first reception will be held on Friday, June 5 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The tours are typically held in March, June, September and December.
“We are excited,” Atascadero Art Association President Deborah Hintergardt said about the new space. “We’re already had a meeting here.”
Since the old library closed, the art association has been without a meeting place because the library cannot be used after hours and the organization did not want to move its meeting to library hours. During the lapse, the group met at Atascadero Gospel Chapel.
“We weren’t seriously looking, we were hoping to have the library again,” Hintergardt said. “It was do or die. There seems to be a lot of excitement.”
Though the art association has had a meeting at Boyd & Bradley, the June meeting will be the first with a guest demonstration. W.B. Eckhert will give a presentation of mixing color to get the color you want at the meeting on Monday, June 8 at 7 p.m. Monthly meetings are held the second Monday of the month at the gallery.
For more information on Atascadero Art Association or to join, go to www.atascaderoartassn.fix.net. Yearly memberships are $24 and are required to hang work in the gallery. The gallery will be open whenever Boyd & Bradley is open. Hintergardt said that the exact hours are still be worked out, though if there are enough volunteers, it will likely be open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
