Downtown Summer Gallery Series “Pops Up” on Clematis Street


WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (June 18, 2013) ¾ Arts and culture enthusiasts will have a new reason to visit Downtown West Palm Beach this season when a free pop-up gallery launches with a rotating series of carefully curated artwork on Clematis Street. The Downtown Summer Gallery Series will showcase four-day exhibits in June, July and August. The shows will be in the historic “Anthony Building” at 312 Clematis St. and hosted by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) in a partnership with WG Compass Realty andMcMow Art Glass.

Each month will feature artwork from regionally and nationally renowned artists. In addition to the art showcase, each exhibition will open with a cocktail reception on Friday evening. This creates an opportunity for guests to meet and engage with the artist and collectors. Throughout the series there will also be presentations on art-related topics by exhibiting artists, historians and other industry professionals.

The series kicks off with the inaugural event Thursday, June 27 through Sunday, June 30 with a solo exhibit by Chisolm, who is known for his abstract, figurative and landscape pieces filled with energy, movement and layers of contrast. On the evening of Friday, June 28, Chisolm will also present a painting he is donating to the Compass Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Lake Worth and the Palm Beaches that will be auctioned at the organization’s annual Stonewall Ball that occurs the following evening. Chisolm’s work can also be currently found at DTR Modern Galleries in Palm Beach and Philip Morton Gallery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Next on the agenda is spectacular glass work by Rick Eggert featured from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28. His sculptures have been exhibited around the world and he now operates a glass studio in Stuart, Fla. where he is busy teaching classes and working on new pieces.

The final exhibition in the series is an array of historical Florida artists from Thursday, Aug. 29 to Sunday, Sept. 1, from the collection of Phil Materio of McMow Art Glass. The showcase will include iconic art by the famed Florida Highwaymen that highlights the state’s nature and local culture. At the opening reception on Friday, Aug. 30, a painting by a Highwayman artist will be presented to the Palm Beach County Historical Society.

“The murals and decorated utility boxes ‘popping up’ around downtown have been so well received that we’re making a concerted effort to continue to bring our residents and visitors innovative ways to experience art and culture,” said Raphael Clemente, Executive Director of the DDA. “The Downtown Summer Gallery Series not only adds another layer of entertainment during the summer months, but it also helps show off one of Clematis Street’s incredible retail spaces and recognize some of our top local art personalities.”

The pop-up gallery’s hours are 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday during the designated weeks each month.

For more information about Downtown West Palm Beach or the Downtown Summer Gallery Series please call (561) 833-8873 or visitwpbgo.com or westpalmbeachdda.com.