VERO BEACH — Flametree Clay Art Gallery opened its doors in the heart of downtown Vero Beach in March 2011. Just one year later, Flametree is celebrating a “Grand Expansion” with a pink champagne and chocolate dipped strawberry event.
The “Grand Expansion” event, scheduled to coincide with the March First Friday Gallery Stroll from 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 2, marks the gallery’s one year anniversary and celebrates the new artists joining. The new artists’ work is already on display and new pieces are added every week.
In February, Flametree doubled its existing square footage by adding a second gallery room and an office. The expansion was necessary to accommodate the work of eight new potters joining Flametree.
The new artists joining Karen Ekonomou, Cosette Kelley, Lisa Lugo, Maria Sparsis and Trudy von Linsowe, are Eileen Ditullioe (Fort Pierce), Kim Mayo (Vero Beach), Valerie Risher (Vero Beach), Trav Blanton (Vero Beach), Marie (Coco) Martin (Vero Beach), Jesus Minguez (Orlando), Hathaway Brewster (Vero Beach) and Jack Toepke (Orlando).
The new artists’ work ranges from utilitarian, functional pieces to whimsical and sculptural work. The new artists bring with them new techniques such as multifire low fire and wood fired, expanding the raku, low fire, mid-fire oxidation and high-fire reduction techniques used by the founding members. Jesus Minguez and Jack Toepke, both from the Shoshin Studio, bring an Asian aesthetic to the gallery.
Flametree Clay Art Gallery is located at 2041 14th Ave. in Vero Beach.
For more information, call (772) 202-2810 or visit www.FlameTreeClay.com.