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The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the "Small Works Invitational." The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches.
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
The Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed Gallery. Photos courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery
The Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed Gallery. Photos courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
One of the best things about the “Small Works Invitational” show at the Duane Reed Gallery is the opportunity for collectors to acquire original works by St. Louis artists that won’t break the bank.
The artworks, just 14 inches square, don’t require a huge space, either. They’ll fit in an apartment or in a small house just fine. The grid display in the main gallery invites close inspection of new works by 65 artists whose enthusiastic responses brought in 124 works to the gallery.
Artist Tim Eberhardt says he thinks this show will appeal to young collectors. “It’s a survey of many of the artists in town and a chance for collectors of any age to buy something.” The pieces run from $150 to $2,000. Eberhardt has new works in the show himself.
For gallery owner Duane Reed, the show brings a long-held vision to life. “This show has been on my mind for many, many years. I initially saw another gallery do something similar on a much smaller scale at an art fair. The assembled work had such presence. I noticed how quilt-like it was and how people were attracted to it, including me.”
Reed didn’t act on the idea until now. Although he’s done group shows at his gallery, they aren’t his favorite things.
Gallery owner Duane Reed, left, stands with assistant gallery director Ethan Meyer, center, and gallery assistant Douglas Dale, both of whom have pieces in current show at the Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End.
“It’s like pulling something together out of the air. ‘It’s going to be a glass show, or ceramics, or landscapes.’ Group shows are hard to do. You’ve got to corral the artists and then convince everyone to get the work in on time, and understand the process,” he says.
At planning sessions with his staff for the 2022 season last winter, Reed knew their gallery shows had to be bold. After two quiet years when few people ventured into group settings because of the pandemic, Reed challenged his staff to come up with a special show for the summer season. “The idea was to create an event that would be explosive; a celebration that would bring a diverse audience of people wanting to get out and have a reunion to come to the gallery.”
With size as the only stipulation, the decision to display the works in a grid pattern, a unique patchwork, would bring Reed’s memory of the small works show from long ago to the fore. “It wasn’t intentional, but the size we chose isn’t common, so each piece was made specifically for this show. The artists couldn’t go into their inventory and pull something out,” Reed says.
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Along with Reed, assistant gallery director Ethan Meyer and gallery assistants Douglas Dale and Michelle Rigell generated a list of artists affiliated with the gallery or artists who had exhibited there in the past to make up roughly half the show. Reed personally felt validated when all 31 of these artists responded enthusiastically.
“They were excited about it. That’s why this was far easier to put together than it should have been,” Reed says.
Reed turned to members of his staff for suggestions on an additional 34 artists. “We were looking to fill the wall,” Reed says. “We set a strategy to reach out to artists who would want to bring their friends in to see their work, and that did happen.”
Reed admits he is somewhat conservative, so he looked to Meyer and Dale to connect with the younger community of artists. He wanted to bring more experimental works into the gallery. “I have faith in in my team,” Reed says. “Whether we lucked out or it was intentional, the show all hangs together. We have more conservative pieces next to something that’s a little more flamboyant, and it works.”
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Gallery Assistant Douglas Dare, left, talks with Phyllis Weber, center, and Sari Frieden, right, who visited the gallery, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Reed also handed off the show details to Meyer and Dale. Working from a graph they devised, Dale handled the dealings with each artist. Meyer was in charge of the installation. Both worked out the placement of the dissimilar pieces that made up the show.
“The installation was a lot of fun,” Meyer says. “Douglas and I approached it like a bit of visual Sudoku. We laid blankets down in the main gallery, brought out some work and put everything in a grid on the floor so we could stand over it to see what looked good together. Then we’d bring more work in.
The two intuited subtle visual relationships between pieces through colors, rhythms, materials and content, a challenging job at best. “I told Douglas just to have fun with it. It was a game of shuffling the pieces around. We’re both artists so we have strengths in the visual department,” Meyer says.
The show included artists working in three dimensions as well. “With the addition of sculptural elements, the installation would no longer be flat,” Reed says. “Ethan and Douglas both said ‘We’ll make this work,’ and they did. The sculptural pieces energize the wall and engage the viewers.”
“My brain went to the sculptures first,” Dale says. “The depths can be wild if they cluster too closely. They were the first things I wanted to place, sort of the tent poles, and then we curated everything else around them.”
Most artists submitted two pieces to the show. Meyer and Dale wanted to give each piece equal weight, so they didn’t place two works by the same artist together.
We asked Meyer and Dale about their favorite pieces in the show, even though that’s a bit like asking a parent who’s their favorite child.
Blue Hare, a sculpture by Lindsay Pichaske. Photo by Pat Eby
“Two artworks stand out for me by artists affiliated with the gallery,” Meyer says. “Lindsay Pichaske created spectacular ceramic sculpture of a blue hare for the show. I’m really happy with how it presents. Right next to it is a painting of a paper origami crane sitting on a lollipop by Michelle Riggel. William Rimel and Devin Rojas are both close friends of mine, and I was really happy to have them participate as artists.”
Dale went a little more old-school. “Yes, we’ve got some up-and-comers, but we’ve got some legends who don’t work in small scale any longer. There’s a couple of people that stand out for me. Victor Wang is an absolute pro. I think he’s indicative of the magic of this show. We had some guests who purchased a small Victor Wang. It was just a beautiful harmony moment. And then there’s Kate Anderson and Jane Sauer. They’re both legends. They’re fabulous. To get a small piece of theirs in a gallery is a rare opportunity. I love having them in the show,” Dale says.
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
For Alex Johnmayer, who is not affiliated with the gallery, the invitation from Meyer and Dale was both a challenge and an opportunity. “I do not normally work small,” he says. “I used the smallest paint brushes I own for this show. I was very happy my painting sold. I was very careful the last two years because of COVID. The opening was the biggest crowd I’d seen at a gallery since pre-COVID days,” he says.
Meyer agreed the opening and the subsequent traffic through the gallery has been encouraging. “I’m really pleased with this show. I think everyone who participated did an excellent job,” Meyer says. “We’re just so humbled by the community involvement and the show of support on opening night.”
Dale also reflected on the show’s successes. “Now, this is silly, but it’s where my mind goes at the end of the night,” Dale said. “When we were closing down, I saw this big pile of empty wine bottles. It was the sign of a party that said, ‘Oh my God, we did have a lot of people in here. Everyone seemed to have a blast, a feeling we haven’t had for so long.”
“The Small Works Invitational” continues through July 30 at the gallery. Two other small works shows run concurrently. “The Gallery Window” features small fiber spiral works by Alton artist Sun Smith Foret displayed on a spiral sculpture by Dan Barnett — a whirlwind of intricate threads, colors, glitter bits, and earthy things that invite close inspection and contemplation.
The second gallery contains sculptural ceramic works by California artist Sasah Koozel Reibstein.
For Reed, the show was a gladsome thing. “There will be some people that we pick up from this show, or that we may show in the future. That’s always that hope when you have a good experience with an artist,” he says.
Where Duane Reed Gallery, 4729 McPherson Avenue • More info 314-361-4100; duanereedgallery.com
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. The center work is a 3-dimensional piece by Lindsay Pichaske called "Blue Hare." Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
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The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the "Small Works Invitational." The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches.
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Blue Hare, a sculpture by Lindsay Pichaske. Photo by Pat Eby
The Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed Gallery. Photos courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery
The Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed Gallery. Photos courtesy of Duane Reed Gallery
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
Opening night, June 24, at the Small Works Invitational show at Duane Reed. Photo by Pat Eby
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. Gallery Assistant Douglas Dare, left, talks with Phyllis Weber, center, and Sari Frieden, right, who visited the gallery, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
Gallery owner Duane Reed, left, stands with assistant gallery director Ethan Meyer, center, and gallery assistant Douglas Dale, both of whom have pieces in current show at the Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End.
The Duane Reed Gallery in the Central West End recently held an opening of the Small Works Invitational. The exhibition in the Main Gallery features 124 works by 65 St. Louis artists whose artworks each measure 14-inches by 14-inches. The center work is a 3-dimensional piece by Lindsay Pichaske called "Blue Hare." Photo by Hillary Levin, hlevin@post-dispatch.com
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