SP Native Helps Open New Art Gallery

A stylish new gallery is open in the Annapolis arts district. Gallery 57 West, featuring “a fusion of the arts,” opened August 1. Twenty-five artists from the Annapolis Arts Alliance (AAA) will have their works displayed in the sleek, modern facility.

After five years of “pop-up shops” around Annapolis, the AAA is excited for a permanent, year-round location.

“The artists in the Annapolis Arts Alliance have always wanted a permanent home, so when the opportunity of taking over the Whitehall Gallery on West Street arose, we wanted to jump on it,” said Audrey Lee, an AAA board member and one of the original gallery artists.

Lee, a Severna Park native who specializes in watercolor and oil paintings, coordinated the gallery buildout.

“The makeover of the inside of the building is modern mixed with old tin ceilings that gives it a fresh feeling that will be the perfect palette for all the artists’ artwork. It will look like an art gallery,” Lee added.

The building is a “mix of modern and historic styling” that includes contemporary fixtures, sleek new flooring, and ethereal greys and maritime blues.

The goal is to provide a collective voice for all the arts, according to a press release by the Annapolis Arts Alliance.

Just as the building features a mix of styles, so will the art collection, with a diverse array of artistic visions and styles that both rookie and novice art lovers will appreciate.

“We will have something for everyone,” Lee said enthusiastically. “Oil/acrylic and watercolor paintings, along with photography, ceramics, jewelry, fused glass, textiles, collage and weaving.”

Gallery 57 West will be open from 11:00am-7:00pm, Wednesday through Monday. It is expected to be a preferred destination for artists and art appreciators alike, and it will provide an opportunity for the community to support local artists by viewing and purchasing their artwork.

“I’m excited for this new adventure in art!” Lee said.

For more information on Gallery 57 West, visit www.gallery57west.com.