CityArts

Historical plaque inscriptions:
Englishman Gordon Rogers came to Orlando in 1886 and constructed this Queen Anne style building. The English club was located on the second story. The club sponsored dances, theater, and other events for the large British community. Reportedly, the metal siding and decorative details were manufactured in England. In 1907, the building housed the offices of the South Florida Sentinel, a predecessor of the Orlando Sentinel. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an Orlando Historic Landmark.
The Rogers Kiene Building is the oldest commercial building in Orlando. It was restored and donated by local businessman and lover of the arts, Ford Kiene, before he passed away in 2022.

Thank you to CityArts for hosting the Central Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition that runs from 3/20 – 4/12. My abstract watercolor has been accepted in the show. See you there!

My other review was taken down for some reason, so I am reposting it. I am a local artist in Orlando. I participated in the Monsters and Dia de los Muertos art show last year. The exhibit had its pros and cons. Despite having hundreds of visitors on opening night, there were no gallery attendants walking around. The only gallery associates I saw were at the front desk, which had only 2 or 3 people working there. No associates were engaging with the artists. Except to take social media pictures. There were hundreds of artworks, but no one was promoting the art.

Not only that, but it genuinely seemed like all art styles and forms were accepted into the show. Which is either good, or bad, depending on what you look for when applying to exhibits. There were really novice paintings next to heavily detailed ones. Because of this lack of filtering, I believe that the gallery really just was interested in collecting exhibition fees from the artists, rather than being passionate about artists or art in general. I did not feel as if the gallery cared to nurture the artists’ careers.

When I returned to CityArts to reclaim my unsold paintings, all I had to do was write my name on a piece of paper. They didn’t ask for any ID. Zero questions were asked. I just walked up to the second floor (where I was alone) and took my paintings. A lot of artwork was up there, unattended. Anyone could pretend to be an artist and just steal the artwork, because after you take the artwork, they just let you walk out. I hope they updated this method.

However, on a positive note; I would recommend this gallery for beginner artists. Also, if you make art that is “palatable” (pop art, landscapes, or paying homage to artists like basquiat), then you would definitely perform well at CityArts.