We’ll be open late for Ft.Worth Gallery Night on Saturday September 6, from 6-9pm serving free refreshments.

We’re the only commercial art space in Northern Tarrant county participating in this event. All the other galleries and museums are located in Ft.Worth and Arlington. So, we’d be delighted to see fellow Keller residents join us to celebrate Gallery Night in Keller!

The non-profit space, Young Artists of Texas (YAT) is also participating and holding an artists reception at Keller City Hall, which is a stone’s throw away from art251. So, if you’re on the steps of City Hall, look towards the fountain and beyond it you’ll see our distinctive art251 sign.

Below, our Gallery Night ad in Ft.Worth Weekly, August 27 and September 3 issues.

We’ll be open late for Ft.Worth Gallery Night on Saturday September 6, from 6-9pm serving free refreshments.

We’re the only commercial art space in Northern Tarrant county participating in this event. All the other galleries and museums are located in Ft.Worth and Arlington. So, we’d be delighted to see fellow Keller residents, and others from the surrounding area, join us to celebrate Ft.Worth Gallery Night in Keller (or should it be Keller Gallery Night in Ft.Worth?)

Come see some great original works on canvas, print, in metal, glass, wood, pottery and jewelry from a group of 30 exceptional North Texas artists including Seppo Aarnos, Melissa Ayr, Chad Beene, Kelly Berry, Trish Biddle, Dana Blanchard, Filomena Booth, Melinda Brown, Diana Chase, Marla Cook, Brian Davis, Sean Fitzgerald, Jay Garrison, Faith Jessup, James Johnson, Connie Jordan, Drew Liedtke, Michael Longhofer, Lori Love, Sara Moe, Bobbie Nix, Kim Norris, Aditi Samarth, Jean Storm, Marnie Vollenhals and Dyanne Welch.

And, of course, art251 is the only place in North Texas with an Art-o-mat, an art vending machine!

Once a month Society Life magazine shows up in the mailboxes of residents of Keller, Westlake, Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine and Trophy Club. The magazine is distributed to 36,000 homes in our target area. So, we’ve bought some ad space over the next several months to get the word out about our favorite art space, Kimbell Art Museum not withstanding (yes, I am biased).

Here’s a sneak peek at our Grand Opening ad for Society Life’s September edition. It usually arrives mid-month, so look out for it around September 15. When I get more high quality images of our artists’ art I’ll be able to construct different ads, featuring other artists, for the October and November editions.

Lovers of art in the Ft.Worth and Dallas area get to have extra fun on September 6. It’s the semi-annual Gallery Night (Spring and Fall) event, sponsored by FWADA (Ft.Worth Art Dealers Association). And, if you’re an art fan in northern Tarrant County you’ll get to have even more fun than normal.

Most of the FWADA gallery members will be opening their doors a little longer on Gallery Night, giving culture vultures an extended opportunity to feed their senses and souls (and snack on some serious wine and cheese). Now, as the FWADA name implies, many of the participating venues are in the Ft.Worth area. Atleast 29 venues are taking part this year. Of these, 18 are fully fledged members of FWADA, and include the Amon Carter Museum, Edmund Craig Gallery and William Campbell Contemporary. Another 10 venues are so-called “friends of FWADA” (not full members I assume, but hopefuls), including Artful Hand and Uncommon Angles. If you’re a good mathematician you’ll see that this leaves one other venue.

Yes, it’s us! art251 will be participating on Fall Gallery Night. We didn’t receive an invitation. So, we decided to crash the party — it would just be too disappointing to be left out.

You may recall that art251 is not (yet) a member of FWADA or any other gallery association (please see my previous article on the matter). For that matter, we don’t even classify as “friend of FWADA”. So, just think of us an “acquaintance of FWADA”. Or better still, think of art251 as a bright, fun, accessible place to come see some bold, new art! Or, think of us a great new art venue in northern Tarrant County. Or, think of art251 as the only place in North Texas to purchase art from an Art-o-mat. Or, think of us as the only place to see great original works from a group of 30 exceptional N.Texas artists including Marnie Vollenhals, Melissa Ayr, Dyanne Welch, Trish Biddle, Aditi Samarth, Sean Fitzgerald, Marla Cook, Jean Storm, Connie Jordan, Chad Beene, Brian Davis, Michael Longhofer, Jay Garrison, Bobbie Nix, Faith Jessup, Kelly Berry, Seppo Aarnos, Melinda Brown, Filomena Booth, Kim Norris, Dana Blanchard, Diana Chase, James Johnson, Drew Liedtke, Lori Love and Sara Moe.

So, we hope to see you on Fall Gallery Night. Gate-crashers welcome! We’ll be open from 10am-9pm, and oh, did I mention the great art and the serious refreshments? Look for our upcoming advertisement in the Fall Gallery Night supplement of the Ft.Worth Weekly.

Our beautiful blue Art-o-mat machine has now taken up official residence inside art251.

The machine features cigarette-pack sized works of art from 22 emerging artists from around the globe, including Texas. The machine came to us from NYC (its previous home) via Winston-Salem, NC, home of the Art-o-mat organization and team of restoration experts.

We’re thoroughly enjoying watching our customers’ reactions to the Art-o-mat. Initially, most people don’t realize what it is or what is does, and some seem genuinely perplexed to see a “vending machine” inside a fine art space. Then, the coolness factor overcomes the questions and reservations, and our customers start asking for $5 tokens — each original work of art is only a $5 pull, and a firm one at that, away.

So, in a small way, art251 is making art more accessible through the art-o-mat. Another great benefit of our machine is that it enables us to expand significantly our inventory of art and roster of artists. Think about it, 22 artists with 5 works each, crammed into a 3ft x 4ft space! Galleries in New York’s Chelsea district take notice! Just imagine how you could reduce your astronomical rent costs with a few Art-o-mat machines.

Luckily I took this picture before my digital camera took its own life.

Well. My trusted sidekick over the last 6 years — my first digital camera — took its last breath a couple of days ago. Yes, in terms of present day mega-pixel monster cameras mine would now be classified as thoroughly obsolete. But, it performed its job admirably for years, until very recently. First the LCD went out, then the lens started stuttering, then the lens stopped focusing, then the lens cap started jamming… then the entire camera stopped entirely.

Needless to say, I’m now without a convenient replacement, one that lets me shoot an image and have it in my blog within seconds. You see, despite my penchant for things technical, I’m a photographic luddite at heart. Yes, I’m still one of those prehistoric beings with a roomful of analog photographic equipment and rolls of film. Don’t tell PAPA (Poor Analog Photographers Anonymous), I have an MF Mamiya, and Nikon and Canon SLRs. All are atleast 20 years old and all still work flawlessly!

So, until I find a suitable, dare I say it, digital replacement, this blog will be flying without images. I’ll not mention the brand of my ex-camera. May it rest in peace.

Our beautiful blue art-o-mat machine arrived at art251 on August 13. A brief visual chronicle of the day’s events below:

1. One big truck for small moves carrying the art-o-mat arrives from Winston-Salem, NC.

2. Two strong guys from Vintage Transportation deliver the still-wrapped art-o-mat.

3. Two same strong guys move the art-o-mat into position — it’s too heavy for your friendly gallery owners!

4. One not so strong, but very determined, young lady tries her hand at one of the pulls. No luck, she forgot the token! I think she went for art from the “capacitor dude”.

5. One of your friendly gallery owners greets the new arrival. It’s just like being a proud parent, again.

One of our east walls features “photo-impressionistic” art from Michael Longhofer, and several more pieces by Chad Beene (works from Bible Series).

Michael Longhofer

Michael paints a broad range of subjects including contemporary cityscapes, of which we have several in art251. His style of painting is realism. Michael uses perspective, depth and color to create the illusion of light, which adds significant atmosphere to his works. He is also experimenting with composing his subjects in ready-made frames such as windows and doors. Michael also builds exquisite wooden boxes, some of which we have in the space.

art251 welcomes Drew Liedtke. Our turquoise walls love his art.

Drew Liedtke

Drew’s paintings —  yes, they are paintings — are eerily monochromatic. He loves to paint portraits. Drew uses oils and draws much of his subject matter from old black and white photographs.

We love Trish Biddle’s work. Part of our space is dedicated to several of Trish’s originals, both large and small, including “What Are the Odds”, Official Art of the 2008 Kentucky Derby.

OK, I’m a curator now. So, I couldn’t resist juxtaposing a few select works by Trish Biddle and Marnie Vollenhals, featuring mans’ best friend. We’re delighted to have both artists in art251.

Trish Biddle

Trish’s paintings take us back to the era when style and sophistication was a necessity. Her works are sleek and exude grace and charm. Trish is a rising talent. Her works have a growing base of regional and national collectors. She is the official artist of the 2008 Kentucky Derby and will be official artist for the 2009 Westminster Dog Show. art251 is home to half-a-dozen of Trish’s beautiful originals.

Marnie Vollenhals

Marnie is another talented local artist, and like Trish, is constantly at work. Her paintings focus on the delights of the young, and young at heart. Marnie’s “Rocket Dog” series focuses on the adventures of a little four-legged super hero. Superheroes are much in vogue at the moment.

We’re so glad to have some of Chad Beene’s work in art251. Our outward facing west wall is turquoise, and we had originally set it aside for black and white photography and bolder, contrasting works. However, when it came time to hang Chad’s works “[Johnny] Cash” and “Hank [Williams]” we knew they were meant to be on this wall!

Chad Beene

Chad’s work is vivid and simple, but not simplistic. His broad range of work comes from his passion for subjects, whether old country music or his faith. Chad likes to paint with flat silhouettes of color, which he uses to represent the deeper details of his subjects.