When in Ft Wayne take time to visit Castle Gallery. The building, itself is worth the visit. The paintings are beautiful and are worth seeing in person. Since the setting for displaying the paintings are a home, you gave a great feel for how a piece works in a home. This is a plus. The down side: trying to pick just one to take home.
You can't beat an art gallery that also is someone's actual home and in a "castle" to boot. A friend brought me here and I kept wishing for a Kuerig as we sat on the roof overlooking the neighborhood. The art was interesting, the house more so. I will definitely go back.
My first visit to the Castle Gallery was on a day that they were normally close but someone accidentally left the front door unlocked. The Gallery visit was prompted by my hair dresser as I was searching for a special artwork for the foyer of my newly built home. The owner greeted me warmly and gave my a very comprehensive tour of their three floors of art. The home is fabulous and a must see if you are visiting downtown Fort Wayne. The architecture is wonderful and the history of this home interesting. On the first visit, it was hard to look at the art as I was so fascinated with the home. Since then, I visit regularly to shop for one of a kind art pieces. The variety of art is updated every few months so each visit is a unique experience.
It was interesting, informative, but kind of annoying that the curator followed us everywhere with antidotes regarding every artist. We kept trying to ditch her, but she kept on coming until other people entered and then she followed them.
It is Memorial Day weekend and evidently the owners are away for the holiday. I didn't get to go through the house but the outside intrigued me enough to want to go back. I should mention, the phone number that is listed does NOT work.
I have never had much of a chance to explore the art scene in Fort Wayne although my parents have insisted that it exists. With a few hours to kill I decided to hit a few of the galleries my mother had mentioned. I didn't get far.The second gallery was Castle Gallery where I immediately met Jody Hemphill Smith, the proprietor of the place and that took care of the rest of my afternoon. It is hard to decide whether to focus on the art or the house in which it is displayed but ultimately both are worth your time.The art is mostly representational and is, in my opinion, generally of quite a high standard. The current show when I visited was a generous showing of the works of C.W. Mundy. Mundy's paintings were mostly being shown on the ground floor and the main stair area and were very impressive. There is a piece hanging high up on an end wall in the dining room that I would have spirited away if I had the money to do so.On the upper levels in every room in the house were works of many other artists, many of whom are local and quite talented. Check out the small colorful abstracts of Michael Poorman.At one point on the second floor as I was wandering from room to room on my own, I found myself in a smallish elegant bedroom and was looking at the works hanging on the walls when I turned and noticed a big beautiful Collie lying rather inertly on the bed. He didn't seem too disturbed by anything I was doing so I went over to him and had a nice up close and personal visit replete with belly and ear rubs. If this sweet gorgeous dog is available when you are there, don't miss him.It was fun to talk with Jody about all these artists most if not all of whom she seems to know personally. I find that art tends to be far more intimate if you know something about the person who created it.Give yourself an hour or two to enjoy this gallery, the house, the owner, and her dog. If you enjoy seeing art in a warm and comfortable setting you are in for a feast at Castle Gallery.