Blackfish Gallery

Went here tonight to see two artists who I know show their stuff! It was a pleasant well lit gallery. I had a good time there. The shows were great. I don’t know much about galleries really, but it was a pleasant experience overall.

This was another stop on my little tour of galleries in the pearl. I liked this place. It was a small space but it had quite a few pieces of art in there.
The Blackfish is celebrating its 35^th anniversary and they put on a cool exhibit. Artists that have been a part of their gallery history. From the flyer” 37 former member artists who played a significant role in the gallery’s early years return to show what they’ve been up to.” Sculptures, paintings, linographs and other pieces of work. There were some very nice pieces by the photos I took you can look for yourself.
They seem to change out the work frequently, so one can go wander over there pretty often and you will see something new.
I liked the place. Enjoy it.

I really enjoy visiting the Blackfish Gallery. It’s owned by the artists, but they are picky about who they let into the club. Front-​room exhibits are often based on a theme and involve a take on the theme by each of the member artists. For example, this month’s front room features drawings by each of the member artists.
The back room often focuses on one artist. This month’s featured artist is Kanetaka Ikeda, one of the founding Blackfish members who has returned after a couple of decades in Japan. Ikeda’s exhibit tells a story in mixed-​media sculpture, drawings, and text. He handles a controversial topic — religion — with humor and grace.
Blackfish gets crowded on First Thursdays (just like the rest of the Pearl) but you can sometimes catch the artists «gallery sitting» on weekends.

On one of the first First Thursday’s that I happened to attend this summer, one of my friends was in a group show at this little gallery at the tail end of the Pearl. Always on the lookout for more visual culture, I hopped on down to see what the fuss was about. Chugging a free Red Bull from some of those people in the Red Bull car on the way, I was sufficiently energized to take in some art.
The space is longer and narrower than I had expected, but there is a good amount of wall space that is used to its advantage. During the summer, the large garage door in the front is opened up to increase air and people circulation. They have a good rotation of small shows, and there are always people there when I go on First Thursday. It’s sufficiently close to other galleries in the area that it makes it easy to add it into my itinerary as a main stop. While the shows are not always exactly what I’m interested in, I really like the fact that this is an artist-​owned and operated venue. Giving more room for experimentation and showing of maybe lesser-​known artists is always a plus in my book. And presenting that work in a professional manner unlike some of the more «indie» artist co-​op spaces I’ve seen is really what sets this place apart. I’m sure I’ve stumbled upon this gallery later than most, but that doesn’t mean I’m not just as big of a fan.