The couple took over the fourteen-year-old print shop last July and decided to turn it into a gallery. Before its official opening, they ran a window gallery from dusk until dawn, so passersby could look at different pieces displayed in the windows each night. The gallery opened on April 23, and the Links are always on the lookout for quality artwork. "It's very similar to traditional galleries, but we're looking for art that might be slipping through the cracks; artists who are done with school and are looking to be shown but aren't part of the art world yet," Karen says. "We're not as commercial, so we're not judging artwork by its sellability."
Next week the gallery will exhibit the work of Daniel Link, Dean's nephew and a recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The oil paintings in the exhibit, which is titled Zombie Ranger, have been done on various wood surfaces such as cabinet doors and plywood, and the artist blends representational and abstract elements. "Generally I don't have set themes," he says. "The most successful types of paintings are ones that a person can activate by bringing their own experience to it."
The couple plans to continue looking for emerging artists and showcasing the work of hard-to-find artists. In the upcoming year, the gallery will exhibit the work of a Catholic nun who does silk paintings. "It would be great if we could help launch a few art careers out of here," Dean says. "It would be more than worth our while."
