Art on the Avenue

We crammed as much as we possibly could into this past weekend, starting with a visit to “Art on the Avenue” at The Shoppes of Heritage Village in Crystal River on Friday evening.  The last time we visited Heritage Village on their monthly Market Day I noted that there were new art galleries–they may have been there for a while but they were new to me! That’s also when I found out about “Art on the Avenue”.  Created to promote the arts in downtown Crystal River, this event is held the second Friday of each month.

We first visited the DownStairs Art Gallery & Studio run by Alexis Ellis.  Alexis is the potter and owner and was delightful to visit with.  She attended USF, studied her art in Mashiko, Japan, and her lovely pottery reflects that country’s influence.  Her ceramic gallery is also her teaching studio and she offers lessons to both adults and students. In addition, there are several beautiful displays of her work in the gallery for purchase.

Next stop was the Franklin Anderson Gallery of Art.  Karen Anderson is the owner of the gallery and most of the art works are created by local artists.  The gallery includes art in many different mediums plus art supplies.

GlassWerx, a glass art studio, was our final stop.  Debra Hawthorne is the owner and glass artist.  The gallery specializes in stained glass, fusing and mosaics.  She offers classes, workshops, repairs and supplies, plus she has a glass gallery with beautiful handmade art and gifts created by local artists.

The galleries are holding a poster contest open to all ages and includes artwork in any form.  The winner will be selected by a group of local professional artists and will receive $75.  The artwork will be used for the entire year of 2014 and displayed by local merchants.  For further information, you can contact artonave@gmail.com or call GlassWerx at 352-586-8546.

The three galleries will continue to hold the monthly “Art on the Avenue” the second Friday of each month from 5 – 8 pm.  They are also open during the week, check out their websites to see their hours.  If you are looking for a unique gift or something special for your home, or art classes, check out these galleries at The Shoppes of Heritage Village on Citrus Avenue in Crystal River.