The Gateway Art Gallery, operated by the Art League of North Florida, announces that Sheila Carr is the new Curator of the Gallery. Newly elected President Joey Knapp added, ““Who wouldn’t appreciate a Curator who is an artist herself in addition to being skilled at customer service, is proficient across many software platforms, and displays creative problem-solving, organization and management skills? We are delighted that Ms. Carr has joined our group.”
The Gateway Art Gallery, a non-profit co-op of north Florida artists, represents 35 area artists in addition to multiple fine art crafters. The Gallery offers classes for both adults and children, community education, and the opportunity for local art lovers to purchase artwork of our area. While the Art League of North Florida is over 40 years old, the Gallery has been open for only ten years, moving into its current location in historic Lake City approximately nine years ago. You’ll find them on the Courthouse Square downtown.
Carr has a wealth of experience, including being a photographer, digital painter, and music composer. With a background in marketing and communication, she also owns and operates Wee Hour Studio, a greeting card company and digital art studio, and Take Five Media, LLC, a digital marketing agency. Past work includes graphic design and layout for a quarterly scuba diving magazine, professional event photography, and freelance design and social media work for various local businesses. At a recent field trip for students from Niblack Elementary, Carr took the students on a tour of the Gallery, demonstrating the various schools of art through the ages.
Carr adds, “I’m honored to be selected as the new Curator. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of talent here in north Florida. It’s such fun to meet our artists and feature their talents by displaying their work in the Gallery. I also enjoy being a part of the local community with the various events and classes that we sponsor. With our many beginner classes and more advanced instruction, everyone can experience the thrill of developing their own art. We offer over 100 classes each year in addition to the community experiences we provide.”
As a non-profit co-op, the various volunteer artists take turns running the Gallery. Therefore, customers will be meeting the artists who create the work whenever visiting the Gallery. The community is also encouraged to attend the luncheons sponsored by our members each month, in addition to the Friday night receptions for the Featured Artists and various community events we host. The Gateway Art Gallery can be found on Facebook and Instagram. Located downtown, the Gallery is open Tuesday–Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturday, 10am-4pm and can be reached at 386.752.5229.