Gallerie 271 — Attraction in Monterey

The Berkshires are full of surprises! As a new arrival to the area twenty-five years ago I recall driving around South County, happily lost and delighting in the scenery passing by. Farms, houses, fields, streams and then, seemingly out-of-nowhere, Monterey! The quintessential New England village, complete with post office, town hall, library, motorcycle repair shop and a country store. A moment later, it too disappeared Brigadoon-like in the hazy beauty of that summer day. The entire place was a work of art. So last year it was no real surprise to learn from my friend and former architectural client, Dave Hattem, that he and his wife, Rita, had purchased an abandoned garage/automobile painting shop located a couple miles from that magical town. Their intention was to re-purpose it as an art gallery on the automobile painting side and a safe place to keep his two vintage sports cars and Vespa scooter on the other side. Outside they had created ample parking and re-painted the building a dark gray, adding goose neck lighting fixtures to illuminate the large ‘271’, both the address and name of the new ‘Gallerie 271’. Best of all, he wanted to show my artwork — ‘Intersection: Water & Land’ — as his inaugural exhibition! Inside, every surface was renovated, and they repurposed the ample existing lighting built into the walls and ceiling of the new gallery side of the building -- originally installed to apply flawless paint coatings to cars -- to show all kinds of artwork at their best. Both my large tempera and gouache paintings on wood panels and smaller framed watercolors on paper looked very good in this setting. It turned out that virtually any art work could be shown to its best advantage here. Wonderfully, the large existing garage doors could be opened to allow the beautiful Berkshire summers in and viewers out for drinks, food, or just to walk around. As an added bonus, at the ‘Closing Reception’ of my exhibition, my jazz band played and we sounded good in this new space. It was clear by the end of my show that a new gallery, one that could accommodate all sorts of creative ventures, had arrived in the Berkshires, hidden in the landscape, another treasure to be discovered and relished.

Stay tuned: Gallerie 271 will be presenting a summer of exhibitions starting in late June. Check the webpage for...

My stepfather’s art show at Gallerie 271 was the perfect setting—an eclectic space filled with natural light and a Porsche garage that beautifully reflects his love of both art and cars. The main gallery room, once used for painting cars, now offers an exquisite separation between each piece, giving the art room to breathe and be fully appreciated. Adding to its charm, an orange Vespa parked by the country road signals when the gallery is open for shows, a playful and character-filled touch. The owners themselves are absolutely lovely people, which made the experience even...

Gallery271 is a stunning transformation of an old auto repair shop into a world-class art gallery that boasts a unique blend of industrial charm and contemporary elegance. The space masterfully retains its original character while seamlessly integrating modern art, creating a truly unique viewing experience. The gallery is exceptionally accessible and welcoming, inviting a diverse audience to engage with art in an unpretentious environment. Overall, Gallery271 is a captivating fusion of old and new, providing a refreshing and inclusive platform for appreciating art in...