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The exhibit debuts with a special reception open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday during the Southport holiday block party.
In 2009, founders and longtime Fairfield residents Kelsey and Sissy Biggers began the meticulous restoration of the 100-year-old hardware store as an historic preservation mission and partnered with Philip Eliasoph, Fairfield University professor of art history, to curate an esteemed and accessible collection of works by American Masters and Contemporary Artists.
The high-ceiling space is a desirable social hub for private events and the many nonprofits the gallery supports, including Pequot Library, Fairfield History Museum, Near and Far Aid and Haitian Educational Initiatives.
Southport Galleries also partnered with Quinnipiac University in hosting the internationally acclaimed Hungarian exhibition, “Art as Ambassador,” introducing Robert Bizinsky, America's post-war Paris Plein-Air Impressionist, on behalf of Shannon Fine Art in Milford.
"This beautiful and historic gathering space has exceeded our expectations and expanded our view of greater Fairfield's artistic opportunities. Today, we draw artists from not only Fairfield County, but from throughout New England who feel at one with both the space and the community of art lovers," said co-founder Biggers.
The anniversary installation highlights popular Connecticut painters Melissa Barbieri, Tom Graves, Kim Romero, Jarvis Wilcox, Carol C. Young and Massachusetts hyper-realist Rob Brooks, who has found artistic inspiration throughout Fairfield and within the village and harbor of Southport.
"Growing along with us, we are immensely proud to have supported these talented and highly creative individuals, bringing increased visibility to them as emerging artists of quantifiable merit," Eliasoph said.
The gallery, 330 Pequot Ave., is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and by appointment.
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