BRADENTON — Though the area’s fragile economy has caused many businesses to fold, the art business seems to be on an upswing — particularly at the Village of the Arts.
The Village has lost three galleries in the past year, but 10 more have set up shop in the 42-acre art community. That, and the increase in foot traffic at the galleries, is music to the ears of Village board President Kevin Webb.
“It’s really going to be a very good year,” he said, after mentioning that last month’s Artwalk was one of the most successful monthly art events the Village has ever had. “We’ve had the best traffic and the best sales.”
Part of the community’s recent success is due to its push to make itself more visible with street signs and better marketing through the efforts of Realize Bradenton, Webb said. The rest can be attributed to downtown Bradenton’s slow-growing revitalization.
“The perception is that downtown Bradenton is growing into a place for events and retail,” Webb said.
The Village’s new retail shops include an assortment of unique artwork ranging from stained glass and Mexican folk art to jewelry and home furnishings. In all, the community boasts 41 shops — a collection of art galleries, bookstores, cafes and restaurants. About half of those shops double as residences for artists.
One of the newest galleries is Un Gato Loco Gallery, owned by 64-year-old Dennis Carrasquillo. Carrasquillo, who just moved to the area from Los Angeles, said despite the economy he’s always wanted to open his own gallery. He accidently stumbled into the Village when a wrong turn from St. Petersburg lead him to Bradenton as he was looking for a place to relocate.
Business at his gallery, which touts original oil paintings and greeting cards, has been slow since October’s busy Artwalk.
“But hopefully this next artwalk will pick things up,” Carrasquillo said.
Like Carrasquillo, artist Gwendolyn Cardente — owner of the newly opened Gwendolyn’s Gallery — is hoping for success at the Village too. Her shop, which features unique mosaics, children’s toys, pet accessories and more, will have its grand opening this weekend.
The 35-year-old former Brooklyn, N.Y. resident said breaking into the art world here has been much easier and less expensive than up north, but there’s still some apprehension.
“The timing’s not perfect,” Cardente said of opening a gallery in the middle of bad economic times with a new baby on the way. “But working, living and showing in a community like this is a dream come true.”
Village artist Christina Lee, board treasurer of the art colony, said it’s hard to estimate how much revenue the new galleries will generate. Each season varies for every artist, she said. But they all have one goal in mind: “We hope we bring in more people to shop,” Lee said. “Especially during the recession.”
Webb said he would love to see the day the art colony is bursting at the seams.
“We’ve got a lot of room to grow,” Webb said.
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