ArtCentre of Plano announced the opening of its new online gallery today. It features works in a variety of media like oil and watercolor paintings, photography, textiles and works on paper. The initial group of featured artists includes Kavita Doddamane, Kelly Stellar Hrad, Christine Miller, Keith Miller, Kathleen Noble, Gabrielle Pruitt and Marie Renfro. All are local artists who have worked with ArtCentre previously.
According to Executive Director Suzie Jones, the idea of an online gallery was hatched during the pandemic. ArtCentre of Plano is a nonprofit that was looking for ways to stay relevant during trying times while still supporting artists. The online gallery provides a new and convenient way to get their works in front of more people.
It’s also an easy way for art lovers to purchase items. When they do, 30 percent of the price is donated by the artist to the ArtCentre. This money is used to fund the center’s mission of “inspiring, supporting, and promoting excellence, diversity, and vitality in the arts and arts education in the community.”
The virtual gallery is set up very much like the exhibitions on display at the ArtCentre. However, while the physical gallery can only show one or two exhibits at a time, the online gallery has ample “space” to show many more. While its’ hard to beat the convenience of perusing art at home, Jones is quick to point out that the new initiative is only intended to enhance the physical gallery.
“It will never replace the physical tactile-ness of the gallery,” Jones said. “However, it is a great way to see works of art that you may not have otherwise seen or known about.”
The ArtCentre of Plano online gallery can be found at artcentreofplano.org. under the “gallery” menu.
