2015 EXHIBITIONS
January 6-February 1
FLORIDA WINTER
a member exhibition
Join the artists of the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery as we display our visions of a Florida winter. Migratory birds visit by the thousands and local birds don their breeding plumage. Sea grapes splash beach dunes with vibrant color and northern visitors enjoy wearing shorts, swimming, and surfing. Ripening citrus, colorful blooms, and breathtaking sunsets are offered in abundance. A Florida winter is relaxing and the paintings will give you the opportunity to take that piece of Florida home with you.
OUR FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY
February 3-28, 2015
The celebration begins on First Friday, February 6, 2015, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m!
A champagne toast at 7:00 PM will mark the beginning of the Fortieth Anniversary Celebration at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, 1470 Highland Avenue. The celebration begins on First Friday, February 6, 2015, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Past and present members will be honored by a video presentation featuring paintings and photos from the gallery’s history starting in 1975 when the gallery first opened. An Honor List of the 118 past and present gallery members and a collage of photos from the past 40 years will highlight the display. Mayor Kathy Meehan from the City of Melbourne will be participating in the celebration. The public is invited.
The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery, the oldest in Brevard County, set a high standard from the beginning for artwork that would be shown in the gallery. That standard has been maintained to the present. The gallery has provided a museum-like setting for the finest local artists, some nationally and internationally recognized, to display their work. It is “the place to go” for original artwork and the finest crafts.
SIRENS & MUSES
MELISSA T. HALL SOLO EXHIBITION
March 2015
The gallery is excited to welcome our past member Melissa Hall for our March Front Room Gallery exhibition.
Artist Statement:
The past few years have seen a fundamental shift in the way I approach my photography. When I originally began working with my camera, I shot a multitude of images that would later be combined into a single composition. Textures inspired me. Getting that elusive story into one shot was not a comfortable idea. Returning to Kentucky after 10 years of living in Florida, altered not only my environment but also my muse.
Shooting wonderful but dilapidated houses opened my eyes to new ways to tell a story. These decaying spaces sparked my imagination and allowed me to start working conceptually. I began to see the potential in my new environment and wanted to build narratives in these wonderful spaces. I have branched out to incorporate a variety of locations, even including underwater photography.
Muses & Sirens presents a collection of work which celebrates what can happen when you listen to that siren call of finding that next location, the perfect dress, and the wild women who inhabit my work.
ARTIST TALK & DEMONSTRATION
Saturday, March 7th at 2:00
Shoot, Print, Wax: Combining photography with encaustic processes
My work is built by combining my photographs with translucent layers of encaustic medium, oil paint, and pastels. I use a heat gun or blow torch to fuse the wax to the photographs and their wooden supports. To complete the final surface, I often apply a variety of mark making tools, oil paint to accentuate details or in thin washes, and cooler brushes to add texture to the work. Encaustic can be unpredictable and unwieldy, but that adds an element of surprise that reminds me of happy accidents from the darkroom. —Melissa T. Hall
DAMIEN SHARE SOLO EXHIBITION
March 31-April 26
Opening on Friday, April 3, 2015
We talked with Damien about his art at his well-known exhibit spot on A1A. He is there every Sunday morning with original works and prints, painting and talking with buyers who own many pieces and are looking for more. How did it all start? With a look at original work by Norman Rockwell in his formative years, he recognized that being an artist meant having a job and supporting a family with lots of hard work and flexibility. He went for the brass ring and never lost sight of the prize.
Art fits his life style of healthy living, surfing when the waves are performing, and being present for parenting activities. “I like to think that art is not about competing but cooperating with fellow artists.” You will not find opportunities to buy his work anywhere other than Brevard County.
He works exclusively in acrylics, which gives the work a bold look and every piece ties him to water, be it ocean or the Lagoon.
Prepare yourself for an exciting show and an opportunity to chat up an authentic ‘surfer artist’.
SECOND SATURDAY
Damien will give a demonstration of his techniques on Saturday, April 11th at 2:00.
THE SPIRIT OF THE HORSE
MINDY COLTON SOLO EXHIBITION
April 28-May 31
Opening Friday, May 1st
5:30-8:30
Please join us at 2:00 on Saturday, May 9th for artist talk with Mindy.
NANCY SEIB SOLO EXHIBITION
Winner of Our 2014 100% Pure Florida Juried Exhibition
June 1-28
The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery is pleased to announce that Nancy Seib’s exhibit, Symbols and Sighs, will run from June 2nd through June 27th. Nancy was the 2014 Winner of our 100% Pure Florida competition. She received her MFA from the University of Chicago and came to Brevard to teach at BCC which is now Eastern Florida State College. Nancy’s art reflects the varied disciplines she has taught, combining styles and media, but always with a little philosophic edge.
Nancy is a member of the Ten Women in Art and has exhibited in numerous locations with them. Over the years, she has been selected to exhibit in many juried shows, both national and international. Her photographic assemblage “Windows” is in the permanent collection of the Foosaner Art Museum.
Using her art, Nancy continues to explore what she understands of the world. She, however, expresses these things with a little irony and humor.
SECOND SATURDAY
Nancy will give an “Artist Walk” through her show on Saturday, June 13th at 2:00.
Free. Open to the public. Seating is limited.
JOE THOMPSON SOLO EXHIBITION
June 30-July 26
ONE WORD
An Interactive Invitational Exhibition
July 28-August 30
We all know that “a picture is worth … a thousand words”, but what happens when you ask artists to use their talents to express “one word“. Each of the participating artists will receive a three word list from which to pick their “one word” , then use their creativity to express that word. This very important, one word will be the title of their creation.
The interactive part of the exhibit happens, when you the viewer try to match the artwork to the correct title. It may not be as easy as it sounds. All artwork titles will be hidden from view until you’ve made your matches.
SHOW PREVIEW
ANNUAL ART SALE
Each August the gallery members offer original unframed art, discounted art reproductions, art supplies and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to collect some “treasures” from some of the area’s best artists!
100% Pure Florida; a juried exhibition
SEPTEMBER 3-27
Opening on Friday, September 4th
SECOND GLANCE
Solo Exhibition by Heather Kelley
September 29 – October 31
Heather is a member of The Fifth Avenue Art Gallery. She grew up in Orlando and, with private art instruction from local artists, has been painting since age 10. Her art degree is from The University of Florida, with graduate work at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. She resides in Melbourne Beach, Florida.
“I was in art school during an artistic revolution. Following an expressionistic art period, we were exploring art without narrative —Op, Pop, Minimal, Conceptual, Performance, Feminist, and Modern Realism. My art roots are there and “Second Glance” represents how those experiences influenced my artistic evolution. Modern Realism creates a realism that the camera cannot see. That is, it is not photographic, but interprets the image with a medium more capable of breaking the 2-dimensional plane by emphasis, lighting, and paint application. It is about forms, space, colors, and textures, without an agenda to tell a story about the image. In my figurative pieces, each muscular structure is modeled by layer upon layer of paint to achieve dimensional believability but not necessarily perfection. My abstract works also forego storytelling, in favor of peaceful imagery. I am hopeful my viewers will enjoy the simplicity and honesty inherent in my minimalist works.”
NOVEMBER 3-December 27
Annual Holiday Craft Show
32nd Annual Craft Show
Each year we assemble beautiful crafts and jewelry from the nation’s finest artisans. This year we have added many more handmade one of a kind crafts both functional and decorative in all price ranges. We have hand made items from fancy gift cards and hand crafted ornaments for those inexpensive yet unique gifts for special people. There is blown glass, handmade dolls and books, pottery, unique Christmas ornaments, jewelry and much more. It is a fabulous place to get all your holiday shopping done and everything in the gallery is hand made in the United States.