Brenda Dowd just opened the Makt Art Gallery and Gift Shop on Ventnor Avenue in the North Beach section.
VENTNOR – A latecomer to the art scene, Brenda Dowd now finds “strength and power” in the process of making art. She just opened the Makt Arts Gallery on Ventnor Avenue in the North Beach section.
Makt is Swedish for strength and power.
“That’s what art means to me. It gives me strength and power,” she said Tuesday afternoon, the day after opening the doors at the gallery.
“I lived in Sweden for a year, and have been back a few times,” she said.
The gallery features her own “fluid” artwork and an eclectic mix of artworks from several local artists.
“It’s half my studio and half a gallery for other artists,” she said. “There are not a lot of outlets for them to feature their work and I needed more space to do my own work.”
The artists featured offer various mediums, including oils, jewelry, glassware and pottery.
“I wanted people to be able to come in and see a nice variety. Not everyone wants a painting for their wall, but they might want a greeting card or holiday decoration,” Dowd said.
Dowd has a studio at the rear of the store where shy paints without a brush.
“I came to art late in life and after a few years realized I’m not very good with a brush. So, I have moved on to more abstract pieces that flow and are less structured. I also like to produce things that are useful,” she said showing some of her painted gift boxes. “It adds something special to the box, and it can be reused.”
Dowd lived in Moorestown and worked as a pharmaceutical representative until her daughter graduated.
“I wanted to down-size and we moved to Ventnor. A few months later, my husband took a job in California building cable systems. He comes home often,” she said.
After 32 years of marriage, the separation is not problematic, she said.
“It left me to my own devices and I found my creative outlet,” she said.
She gleaned her painting skills from online courses and YouTube videos, she said.
The store, which was Steve’s Barbershop for many years, is light and airy and the walls are painted white. She has been working on it since October.
“I wanted to offer the other artists blank walls like canvas to really showcase their work,” Dowd said.
She selected the site because of its wide windows, which provide lots of natural light and plenty of display space for passers-by.
She collaborated with Sue Van Duyne, director of the Ventnor City Cultural Arts Center, to find artists to display their work.
“I’m really pleased at the number of interested artists,” she said. “They really provided me with a lot of encouragement to open a collaborative space in Ventnor.”
Some of the artists currently displaying their work include Ventnor artists George Gawrys, who paints oil on canvas; Christine O’Brien, who makes prints and ornaments; Margate Moretti, who works in water color; and Donna Bolara, who refinishes furniture.
The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 609-796-2397.
