To please our eyes and fill our soul, we recently visited Kent Barns’ art district. We perused 6 uniquely diverse art galleries covering everything from the avant-garde to classic and showing artists who are household names to the up-and-coming. All of it can be found within one beautiful block. Forget Chelsea, a world of friendly fine art is right here at Kent Barns!
Post sponsored by Kent Barns
Park and stroll this block within Kent Barns, in Kent for some genuinely inspirational artwork to buy or admire. Every gallery owner we met was incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, and enthusiastic about their collections. We learned not only about the work, but also a bit about the art world. We’re far less intimidated now!
Kenise Barnes Fine Art
Because art is essential
Kenise Barnes
With a focus on original and exceptional contemporary art, Kenise Barnes Fine Art represents more than 50 emerging and mid-career artists working in all media. We saw things here we’ve never seen before and were pretty much mesmerized by everything.
Director Kenise Barnes works extensively with architects, interior designers, art advisors, and homeowners to find the perfect fit whether it’s an entire collection or one special piece.
Have a quick swoon over the Kenise Barnes website and then come back.
James Barron Art
James Barron Art focuses on American and Italian artists, as well as both trained and untrained artists. They exhibit regularly at the Outsider Art Fair.
They’re proud to present exhibitions that are unusual for our community and feature women artists in particular. Several of their exhibitions have traveled directly from the gallery to museums around the country.
They host book readings, musical and dance performances, and various other events at the gallery. Check out their upcoming events page for what’s up!
Eckert Fine Art and Consulting
Eckert Fine Art specializes in Post War and Contemporary art featuring artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Roy Lichtenstein. They are the exclusive representative of the Realist artist Eric Forstmann.
In recent years, Eckert Fine Art and Consulting has placed important artworks with museums and collectors by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Giorgio de Chirico, Henry Moore, Richard Diebenkorn, and Alexander Calder.
Craven Contemporary
Craven Contemporary is a contemporary art gallery whose program focuses on photography but also features painting, sculpture and video work, all by some of the best emerging and established contemporary artists.
Many of the pieces on show at Craven Contemporary comes from gallery owner Andrew Craven’s personal collection. We think Andrew has good taste! Think edgy-pop-culture-Warhol-cool.
Ober Gallery
Ober Gallery was founded by Rob Ober. Growing up in the Soviet Union as the son of an American diplomat, he developed a strong interest in Russian culture and history. Besides Russian art, you’ll find emerging Brooklyn and New England landscape artists.
You’ll also find a couple of retro arcade games, appealing to those who enjoy some PacMan with their art. We’re so down with this.
R. T. Facts
Oh, R.T. Facts, how we love your original designs and antique pieces on a grand scale. The collection is put together in such a way that 19th-century antiques fit right in with futuristic unique pieces made by the R.T. Facts design team.
Enjoy imaging the home you would build around some of these incredible finds at R.T. Facts…we found the mirror of our lady-lair-dreams. This huge, white, Tri-Sculpteur Ellipse mirror. OMG.
Do you know what’s nice?
In most of the galleries, price lists were readily available. You don’t have to guess how much something might cost or feel awkward about asking! And for the record, we’ve both started an “artwork fund”….we fell in love with many a thing!
We hope you’ll go do your own art-crawl this summer. Make sure you check out their website for upcoming opening receptions and details for Second Saturday!
6 N Main St, Kent, CT 06757
Pics: Lora / Words: Bev