ST. MARYS — An art exhibition featuring local talent is open to the public at Gallery 29, a partnership between retired Elk County Catholic art teacher Pete Winklbauer and Owner Jesse Gradl.
The name for Gallery 29, which opened in January 2020, came from Gradl being Winklbauer’s 29th student who went on to pursue teaching art.
The exhibition, which opened Saturday with an event to benefit the Elk County Humane Society and its mission, features six local artists: Janet Van Eerden, watercolor; Scott Wiest Sr., photography/installation; Joseph Hawkins, woodworking/sculpture; John Sidelinger, acrylic landscape and wildlife; Winklbauer, watercolor and Gradl, mixed-media photography.
Admission to the gallery at 50 S. St. Marys St. is always free, said Gradl. There is more than 1,000 square feet of space, and more than 100 pieces of artwork on display. A large majority of the works are for sale.
“This show will be comprised of a wide range of local talent featuring unique styles and artistic mediums,” Gradl said. “Our gallery is always evolving and usually hosts a selection of works from local artists, as well as nationally and internationally-recognized artists.”
This particular show showcases 100% local talent, said Gradl.
“I’m in a wonderful position, in which I’m able to give these artists an opportunity to showcase their work, and also rotate in a lot of pieces from my own private collection from some of the biggest names in today’s art scene,” he said.
At Gallery 29’s first group show, Winklbauer and Gradl collaborated on an artwork raffle benefiting the ECHS, he said.
“This time around, in collaboration with a few others involved, we’re planning to raffle off four pieces in total, in hopes of providing them with an even larger donation to help them carry out the wonderful work that they do on a daily basis,” Gradl said. “I’m a huge fan of their organization and what they do, and it’s an honor to assist in any way that we can.”
Unfortunately, shortly after Gallery 29’s opening in 2020, it had to close its doors due to the pandemic, he said.
“We were hit pretty hard with a lot of unknowns, but we’ve since opened back up, and we’re back in the swing of things with our youth and adult classes,” Gradl said. “We’re continuing that momentum with our first exhibition since reopening. We were brand new in 2020, and it almost feels like we’re brand new all over again.”
Gradl noted that these works will be on display for weeks. Gallery 29 is currently open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Visit Gallery 29 on Facebook and www.gallerytwentynine.com. Email jesse.gradl@gmail.com for more information.
