New Art Gallery to Open in MidTown

[metro]

OKC gallery aimed at making art less scary

November 9, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY – Art shouldn’t scare away potential customers, Istvan Gallery owner Stephen Kovash said.“It’s an intimidating experience, even for someone who knows his way around the art world,” Kovash said. “I want to create a place where people can come invest in art and buy collectible pieces, but not be scared by the process.”

The Istvan Gallery, 1218 N. Western Ave., is scheduled to open tonight with a public reception. The gallery will feature installations by local artists in working in media including glass-blowing, sculpture and oil and watercolor painting. The first show will feature works by printmakers Alyson Atchison and Kate Rivers; glass artists Andy Boatman, Rick Bewley and Tracey Bewley; and mixed-media artists Annalisa Campbell, Diana Tunnell and Skip Hill. The installation will be on display through January.“

Oklahoma has significant creative talent and a diverse, dynamic art community,” Kovash said. “We need more space where the public can enjoy and understand their art.”The gallery is a collaborative effort of Blue Sage and Art Fusion glass studios and Istvan Gallery. It has 850 square feet of floor space and 1,000 square feet of wall space. Kovash is planning an online gallery as well.“

As I get past the opening and move on to actually running this as a business, I’m going to be marketing my artists in galleries wherever I can find them, in big cities or wherever the opportunities are,” he said. “A lot of artists in Oklahoma are already doing that themselves, and we need the infrastructure here so our artists can stay in Oklahoma.”

Kovash repeatedly stressed he doesn’t want to offend other gallery operators in the area, but that art galleries in general are known for being uncomfortable and uninviting to new buyers. He said Oklahoma City’s art investment base “is in the very early stages. People who are buying art are getting it at festivals and benefits. They don’t really understand the investment aspect of it. I think we’re going to be spending a lot of time educating people and building a market here.”“I’d like people to be able to come in and say, ‘That’s pretty and I want it.’”

Istvan Gallery hours will be 1-6 p.m. Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month, and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The opening celebration will be 6-11 p.m. today, with an open house 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.



Norman Bewley displays a piece fused glass artwork by his son, Rick. Bewley has been helping get the Istvan Gallery, 1218 N. Western Ave., ready for its Friday opening. (Photo by Kendall Brown)

[Doug Loudenback]

My wife, a friend, and I dropped by this place on Saturday mid-day on our way to the produce market 2 or 3 blocks west of Western & Reno ... just happened to be driving by and we stopped.

This is a VERY cool place ... wish I'd had my camera with me. I plan to go back this Saturday and take some pics. The building isn't pretty (but is OK) from the outside ... it is arranged in series of rooms running east/west, each having a different component. Glass blowers/makers are in the far east end ... got a gorgeous deep blue "bowl" (for lack of a better term) for my wife for Christmas which had just been made the day before. Stephen Kavash said that that they'd expected about 150 for the opening, but that several hundred showed up. Live music was present ... a solo guitarist/singer and a small band playing a different times. Very nice music!

This unpretentious place is worth your attention. Its modest website is here: Istvan Gallery

On edit: I spoke too quickly about the outside ... it is just fine ... see my additional post, below.

[metro]

I personally thought they did a great job restoring the building Doug, interior and exterior. What didn't you like about the exterior, it's a heck of a lot better than it was a year ago, let alone 5 years ago.

[Doug Loudenback]

Actually, I think that I spoke prematurely in my description and on retrospect, I agree with what you said, Metro. We missed it when we drove by and, after looking at it from their website, I do retract what I said. About what it once looked like, I wouldn't know but that's a pretty run down area around there and that may have been the "impression" I made of the outside without thinking. I do like they way they did their interior with all the ceiling conduits showing, etc. I would also add that their bathroom is very clean!

While I didn't have any pics of the facility, it did occur to me to think that I could take some of what I bought my wife for Christmas ... she doesn't come here so there is no worry about premature discovery!

Two of the pics below were taken on my front porch for the sunlight effect ... another was taken without flash in my dining room. Sorry about the pine needles ... I'm not much at sweeping the front porch with any regularity! The piece was hand blown by Andy Boatman, Blue Sage Studios ... it's a stunning piece. The price was $110 before tax.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

A great addition to the area. The street is still a little rough, but this really helps the revitalization process along. There are some other owner occupied buildings nearby and the new Office Depot will be one block east on Classen. This a good area to do a little bargin priced commercial real estate shopping, though not for uninspired or faint hearted.

Just across the street on 11th are the two houses that David Wanzer built while he was in Architecture School at OU. They are worth a look. Unusual use of materials and a little bit different approach to the airplane bungalow.

Norm Bewley is the father of Phil Bewley as well. Phil and his wife rehabbed a brick fourplex into a nice two story brick single family residence. It's about 712 North Francis just across the street from the Brian Fitzsimmons designed Okasian house. Unfortunately, Phil passed away only a few weeks after moving in to his dream house. It is now on the market and worth a look.

Rick and Tracey Bewley do some fabulous glass work and there is also a glass blowing operation in the building too. The 2700 square feet upstairs, which is an addition to the original one story building, will be renovated into a residence for Rick and Tracey. The brick work on the front of the building is very interesting and Rick fabricated two stainless light fixtures that add a nice modern touch.

The faded sign which was exposed on the north side of the building during cleaning the brick is very interesting. "OKLAHOMA AUTOMOBILE SCHOOL" Rick Bewley can give you the background on these former tenants from the early 1900s.