Fri 11/14
Back when Tremont was Cleveland’s premiere art gallery neighborhood around the turn of the millennium, few would’ve picked a scrappy little upstart on Jefferson Avenue to be the one to outlive all the fancier, splashy galleries — but Doubting Thomas did.
The gallery happened almost accidentally when Dr. Theresa Boyd, a pediatrician by day, agreed to pay the rent and allow artists to curate and install shows. It was a turnkey operation. There was no website and little promotion other than artists contacting their friends. And shows were hit or miss: you might see a piece by one of the area’s most acclaimed artists next to something that looked like someone had made their first piece ever — two hours before the show opened.
On Friday November 14, the gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary, its five rooms packed with art in every corner. Noted area artists such as Doug Utter, Deborah Silver, Jeff Chiplis and Liz Maugins had work; so did gallery regulars such as Joan of Art, Jacci Hammer, and Shawn Mishak who has been curating and organizing shows since almost the beginning. The gallery’s resident drunk, the late Robert Ritchie, was represented with a collage of articles; another beloved figure who has passed, Eli “Guitar man” Fletcher, was represented as well with someone’s personal tribute — a homemade guitar and doll representing the musician. The gallery was packed, with artists, neighbors, arts supporters and friends all night.
View the PHOTOSTREAM here.
