HOLMES BEACH – Island Gallery West (IGW) has been operating in the same location for 33 years, but on Friday, March 10, they will say goodbye to AMI and begin the move to downtown Bradenton, where they will open their new gallery in May. They have not yet announced where the new location will be but said the announcement will come soon.
“Our final day will be Friday, March 10 and will include an evening ArtWalk with our featured artist, Terri Westbrook. We would love to see you. We will miss our Island home dearly so please join us to celebrate the past and toast the future,” the gallery said in a recent press release.
The gallery members did not wish to comment on exactly why they are moving, but ever since a road construction project in Holmes Beach began last year, multiple IGW artists have told The Sun that foot traffic has seriously decreased due to the work being done just a feet away from their parking lot. They think that many tourists likely don’t know how to enter the parking lot due to multiple road closures and changing traffic patterns in the area.
“We asked ourselves how we could continue to grow as a gallery; offering more artist demonstrations and adding hands-on classes in the space we have occupied for 33 years,” member artist Karen Beach said. “Having a larger space would be ideal. We explored the possibilities off-Island and downtown Bradenton is undergoing a revitalization and that central location would allow us to reach a wider audience in the greater community.”
IGW isn’t the first gallery to leave or dissolve in recent years. While the Island Art League is still active on AMI, hosting popular events such as Springfest, they no longer have a physical location on the Island. The Studio at Gulf and Pine in Anna Maria is also gone, as well as ArtSpace.
The only remaining gallery with a physical location on AMI after IGW closes its doors will be The Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island. After doing signif- icant renovations while closed during the COVID pandemic, the gallery, with more than 100 member artists, says they have no plans to leave the Island.
During the transition period, you can view IGW online and purchase artwork through their website. They also will be operating during regular hours, Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of the artists will be offering special prices on their work at the gallery. Also visit the final ArtWalk they will participate in where the gallery will stay open until at least 7:30 p.m. along with other businesses in the area, including The Artists’ Guild.
Island Gallery West is located at 5368 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach and can be reached at 941-778-6648.
