by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
For the past several months, the Open Gallery in San Marco has been an outlet for emerging artists to display their work. But Jennifer Price-Easterling, the founder of Open Gallery, has a baby on the way and hopes a group will step forward to keep the gallery open while she is on leave.
Open Gallery, 1838 Dewey Pl. in San Marco, was converted from a home to an art gallery by Price-Easterling. She and her family lived in the house for two years until they realized they needed a larger home.
When she first opened Open Gallery, Price-Easterling said, the market was slow and it was hard to sell the house.
“It was always a small dream of mine to open a gallery,” she said.
The house-turned-gallery gave local artists a spot to showcase their artwork in a gallery-type setting for a small price. (Price-Easterling is still paying a mortgage on the home.)
But with a baby on the way, Price-Easterling is looking for someone or a group of people to adopt the project while she is on leave.
“The house has been up for sale and we haven’t gotten any written offers yet,” she said. “I will keep doing shows until it is sold, but after our next show it will all depend on how capable I am of doing it.
“Either way it needs to be taken care of, either sold or a group of volunteers [can run the gallery].”
The next show begins Feb. 13 and runs through Feb. 27.
Each show runs for two weeks with a group of different artists’ work. For two weeks, artists can show their work in the gallery for $150. For any art that they sell in those two weeks, 10 percent goes back to the gallery and the rest to the artist.
“This is a great opportunity for artists to showcase their work in a gallery format,” she said. “All it would take is for a volunteer group to come in and work with the artists.”
Price-Easterling said artists can also rent out a space to set up a studio while they run the gallery. The 1918 original Henry Klutho-designed home is unique for the area because the property is zoned as Commercial/Residential/Office. She said it is a perfect fit for artists, because they can live where they work and rent out a space at the same time.
Local artist Joanelle Mulrain, who has shown her paintings and photos at Open Gallery, said it is a great space for artists to showcase their work. Mulrain had a gallery in Washington D.C. that used a similar concept.
“It was a great thing for Jennifer to do,” she said. “I love to see the big city ideas be localized.
“It’s the same idea ... take an empty space and give opportunities to emerging artists for them to gain recognition and a place to show their work.”
Mulrain said she also has a real estate license and the value of the property is “on its way up.”
“Jennifer is ahead of the curve and she has done a good job,” she said. “She is on the cutting edge with this in Jacksonville.”
Mulrain said she hopes Open Gallery will remain open.
“I hope it stays there for the artists ... to give them an opportunity to be seen,” she said.
For more information on the house or Open Gallery, Jennifer Price-Easterling can be reached at 502-9385.