Austin is tied to many places, but a new dual-location art gallery offers an especially unexpected portal between 1406 W. 6th St. in Austin and Ketchum, Idaho, near the Sun Valley ski resort. Connelly Martin will connect the two places through contemporary art starting February 13 in Austin and July 11 at Sun Valley.
A press release announcing the openings promises "enduring, narrative-driven and conceptually rigorous work by emerging and mid-career artists."
Connelly Martin is named after its two founding partners: Bailey Connelly in Austin and Lily Martin in Sun Valley. The two are combining their curatorial powers to create a "cohesive program" between the two galleries — each will be influenced by its surroundings, so exhibitions will be more coordinated than cloned. The duo plans to host five exhibitions each, annually.
Like Austin, Sun Valley is a place where people go to spend time outside, although the landscapes couldn't be more different: Austin's subtle hills look flat compared to Sun Valley's mountains, and snow beckons visitors rather than shutting down the city. The ski town has a tiny population of less than 4,000 compared to Austin's nearly 970,000, so it's reasonable to expect different relationships to local art and buyers.
Connelly Martin's founders want the gallery to feel inviting rather than cold and white.Photo courtesy of Connelly Martin
Guests can visit the galleries, which are designed to feel more homey than the standard all-white spaces the art world is known for, inviting social connection. Or, as if two cities weren't enough, Connelly Martin will also host two pop-ups every year in different towns. In both cases, partnerships between creatives, advisors, and other institutions will keep the spaces running and hopefully lead to more collaboration down the line.
Reflecting the goal of approachability, the galleries will show works that the founders would pick up for their personal collections. And Austinites will have a chance to get to know the artists in Connelly Martin's circle right away, since both locations will feature a group exhibition as their inaugural show. Austinites should keep an eye out for work by local textile artist Elizabeth Hohimer.
The opening reception in Austin will take place on Friday, February 13, from 5-8 pm. Regular hours will be 10 am to 5 pm Tuesdays through Fridays, and Saturdays from 11 am to 4 pm.
The collection has a lot more room to expand in this new space.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance
Cafe tables are great for flipping through new finds with Cielito Lindo's signature horchata latte.Photo courtesy of the Downtown Austin Alliance