Friday, October 29, 2010

Presentation to Washington County Public Affairs Forum

I've been asked to make a presentation to the Washington County Public Affairs Forum in a week. Jayne Scott, Director of the Beaverton Arts Commission, invited me to share the journey that Amato's Gallery has taken since last February when local artists joined with Karen Amato and her floral design business. We've undergone a number of significant changes since then, including refurbishing and moving into a formerly empty store front on SW Broadway in Beaverton's historic district. 

What should I talk about, what should I say? I decided to let the artwork do most of the talking for me since we are so fortunate to represent twelve very talented and diverse award-winning artists. Our gallery displays an outstanding assortment of sculpture in glass, metal, stone and clay; memorable two-dimensional images in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor; and stylish hand-crafted jewelry. I've included some images here that will be part of the power point presentation.



I'll also share how proud we are to be able to showcase the talent of local artists and to establish a welcoming fine art gallery within our own community. Collaboration works, and Amato's is certainly a good example of how indiviiduals' dreams, efforts, and talents can combine to achieve a group's goals. 

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Plans for Broadway Street in the news!

In Thursday's edition of the Beaverton Valley Times there was an article on another independent small business reinventing itself much like Amato's Floral did when Karen invited local artists to exhibit in her flower and gift shop in early 2010. A&P, at the corner of Broadway and Watson, has added a line of  specialty goods including locally made organic cranberry juice, peach jam marinades, peanut brittle, cayenne caramels, and flavored balsalmic vinegars to their successful appliance repair parts business. It seems like an unusual pairing of merchandise, but the owners were looking for something fun and different. We wish them much success.

The article goes on to say, "Plans for Broadway have shifted as the Civic Plan evolves. Last month, citizens and the city considered a couplet, where Canyon Road and Broadway would be one-way streets and define a new downtown. That plan has since been scrapped, and the Civic Plan is looking at Broadway as a festival street, which could feature street trees and benches, slow speeds for cars and could be closed to cars for fairs or events."

Sounds like good news for Amato's Gallery and other small specialty shops and restaurants. Read the entire article in the October 21 Beaverton Valley Times.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Spend a night out on Broadway!

Mark your calendars now for an evening out on Broadway - that's   SW Broadway in Beaverton, OR.!

Amato's Gallery, at it's new location at 12570 SW Broadway Street, is pleased to present abstract acrylic paintings and collages by Bruce Ulrich for the month of November. The exhibit will open on November 6 and run through November 30, with an artist's reception on Saturday, November 6, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Our receptions are fun and free and informative, with our family of eleven artists on hand to visit and share their passion for art with anyone and everyone in attendance. Refreshments are provided of course, so plan to stop by and see us.