Quayside Art Gallery — Attraction in Pensacola

I give this little gallery five stars for what it is, and don't detract for what it isn't. It's not a place for world-famous fine art, so don't expect that. It's a decent sized gallery for exhibiting the work of local artists. Mostly paintings, and of those mostly landscapes. There are other things too, such as sculptures, pottery, tapestries, and photography. It's fun to look at and find the gems. It's free, so we took the kids and they had fun. Someone was in the ground floor front wing painting a portrait and the kids really liked watching the artist at work. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Everything is for sale, and I guess it's sort of a co-op where the artists help fund the place and in turn get to display (and sell) their works. Again, it's not the Louvre, it's a fun place to look at and find local, buyable art and doesn't cost you anything to look around. Three floors of stuff, so plenty to look...

Quayside Art Gallery is home to a beautiful display of artwork by over 70 local artists. They have three floors of art, including oil, acrylic, and mixed media paintings; gorgeous handmade jewelry; photography; handmade clothing, handbags, and rugs; pottery and sculptures; batik; macrame; greeting cards, magnets, and stickers; and more. Some of the art shows off local scenes while other was inspired by the world travel of the local artists. There is something for everyone here. The artists themselves manage the gallery, and they are very friendly and helpful. The downstairs display changes every six weeks, and the artists are constantly adding to their individual exhibits upstairs too, so there is plenty of reason to come again and again. I urge locals and visitors alike to visit the gallery and take a part of Pensacola...

Packed to the brim with local art. Despite probably having in excess of a thousand pieces on display, though, there are at most 20 works that are worth looking at. I hate to say it but almost all of the art is amateur (at best) and there are clearly very few serious artists showing there. Most of the artists appear to be retirees looking to pick up a new hobby, and most of the works are paintings or photographs of Pensacola plants, animals, and sights. None of the pieces seem to offer any meaning, and they are almost universally overpriced. Most of the talent in the building is in the works of sculptors, woodworkers, and not in the visual art. And the ceiling on the second floor is literally six feet up - so tall tourists...