Art events, Exhibits, Calls for Art & Artists, Artist Groups, Classes & Workshops in the north Texas area
Studio111 Opening Reception Feb. 20
Studio111: Collective Inspiration February 20 – March 21, 2020 Opening Reception Thursday, February 20, 2020 5 – 8:30 PM Artspace111 | 111 Hampton St, Fort Worth, TX 76102
2020 ushers in a new decade and marks the 40th Anniversary of Artspace111. The artists and staff of Artspace111 could not be more excited to prepare and present a year’s worth of shows celebrating this great milestone in the gallery’s history. It is fitting to start the year off with a studio history exhibition looking back to the creative foundational beginnings of the gallery. Artspace111 is proud to present Studio111: Collective Inspiration.
The exhibition will feature select artists who had studio space at Artspace111 since 1980, when it was known simply as Studio111. This distinguished group includes Daniel Blagg, Dennis Blagg, Doug Blagg, Woodrow Blagg, Cindi Holt, Nancy Lamb, Al Souza, Bill Haveron, Susan Harrington, John Hartley, Jim Malone, Carol Benson, Matt Clark, Leslie Lanzotti, Joachim Kersten, and Jo Ann Mulroy.
Looking Back to the Beginnings of Artspace111
Over
the past months, participating artists have been telling their stories
of how they came to be at Artspace111. Then called Studio111, the space
was established by twin brothers Daniel and Dennis Blagg in 1980 as
artist studios. Ten years later, the studio was home to a group of
artists and a small gallery space. The creative atmosphere within the
brick walls of an old furniture warehouse continued to grow as more
artists took up their practice in the studios at Artspace111. One short
story by Cindi Holt describes the gallery’s growth from artist studios
to the creative space we know today as Artspace111 with an anecdote from
the first Spring Gallery Night.
“In the year 1989, Dennis Blagg invited me to have studio space in what is now known as Artspace111. Dan Blagg, Jim Malone, Susan Harrington, and Dennis were working there. After one year of painting, Malone said to me, “What are you going to do with all of these paintings?” Because I wasn’t showing with a gallery, I said, “Maybe I’ll hang them and invite all my friends to a party here.” Malone responded by saying that they’d never done anything like that and I’d better ask Dennis and Dan. When I asked, they both said “Sure!” All of us cleaned our studios, brought some appetizers and hung our art. One hundred and fifty of my friends came and we all sold a painting or two. When the next year rolled around, we all invited our friends and 300 people came and we all sold work. Five hundred people came the third year and 700 came the fourth year.”
