Stolzer, Gurbo Galleries Add To City Of The Arts
ONEONTA
It’s a pattern artist Michael Stolzer hopes to see replicated in downtown Oneonta. “I saw this over and over in The City,” he said. “Undesirable locations became desirable when galleries and restaurants moved in. Food for the body, food for the soul.”
Stolzer, who opened his gallery at 97 Main St. in October, is gearing up for his first summer of Fabulous Friday openings and art walks in hopes the vision of Oneonta as an arts community will continue towards fulfillment. “This is such a great town,” he said. “My art, my space shows that our inner lives are connected. It speaks to everyone, and I want it to be a stepping stone in that direction.”
And a few doors down, at 77 Main St., formerly Thrifty Operations, artists Zena Gurbo and her husband, Simone Mantellassi, are hanging paintings in their new gallery, More Art Space, for the Friday, May 16,opening of their first show, “Hatch.”
“At first, I was reluctant to take on another thing,” said Gurbo, who also is curator of the Main View Gallery, two doors down. “But I got in my car to drive home, and by the time I got there, I realized that this was my chance to have my own gallery!”
More Art Space joins an expanding number of galleries and art spaces, including CANO, The Gallery at Foothills, Printagree and the Downstairs Walkway. “MSO turned that into a pretty nifty exhibition space,” said David Hayes, one of the organizers of the Fabulous Friday series.
Even stores are getting in on the exhibition action, with art pieces including a 5 piece wall art design going up on the walls of Prime 289, The Green Toad, the Autumn Café and the Green Earth. “There’s almost too much to see,” said Hayes. “There’s such an exuberance about arts downtown.”
And on Friday, May 16, the Greater Oneonta Historical Society will unveil the first of five murals by Carol Mandigo depicting the previous occupants of the 189 Main Street building.
The “Hatch” show at More Art Space will feature works by a variety of artists, all showcasing pieces representing a turning point in their work. “There are all these artists making this amazing work in their studios,” said Gurbo. “We want to provide an opportunity for those artists to showcase their work. Getting out of your studio is the hardest part, and we want to help facilitate that.”
Stolzer opened his gallery intending to show his own work, but since has opened up a second room to showcase other artists for free. “I don’t take a commission,” he said. “I want to help promote other artists.”
Gurbo attended Mayor Dick Miller’s art summit in February 2011. “Having several galleries on Main Street is a way to market our community to outsiders,” she said. “Someone who comes strolling down the street will say to themselves, ‘hey, this is an arts town;’ they’ll begin to see us as an arts city.”
“The arts are what keeps us civilized, what makes living worthwhile,” said Hayes. “Without them, we’d be just another city.”
