Abstrakt Art Gallery in Benton Park

A “Creative Catalyst” is a person or organization that encourages, supports or facilitates creative expression.  They may or may not be artists themselves, but all of them value the unique contributions that artists provide to society.  Art Underground recently got the chance to interview the Director of Abstrakt Gallery, Matt Hundley.  Matt also happens to be an accomplished musician (guitar) specializing in international styles of music, and he is blessed to have the opportunity to support other artists through his role at Abstrakt Art Gallery.

How was Abstrakt founded?
Abstrakt Gallery was started by Ben and Scott Scully. Their mother, Cammie Scully, is the Executive Director of the Waterloo Center for the Arts (Waterloo, Iowa). When they purchased the building at 1900 Arenal they both felt the main floor would be perfect for a gallery. Plus this offered an opportunity for the sons to work with their mother and develop a business on something they all enjoy…ART.

So how did you get connected to the gallery?
I met Ben and Scott through Paco Rosic—who was the first artist to show here. Paco and I have been friends for some time. Ironically, I had served on the Arts & Cultural Commission in Waterloo, Iowa—which served as the Board of Directors for the Waterloo Center of the Arts. So I knew Cammie Scully, Ben and Scott’s mom. As we got to talking the position of Gallery Director came up and I readily accepted.

You’ve pointed out to me that Abstrakt is hosting several artists from Iowa.  Is this a result of your connection there?
Absolutely.  The galleries tie to Iowa will be apparent in the selection of some of the upcoming artists.  As stated earlier, Paco Rosic is also from Iowa. Next year we will bring in Kim Behm and Gary Kelley—both of whom are recognized on a national level for their work as illustrators and painters; both reside in Iowa.

How is Abstrakt a “Creative Catalyst” in and for the St. Louis area? How does Abstrakt serve or contribute to the local artist community?
So far the artists we’ve featured at ABSTRAKT have been primarily from Saint Louis. Kennedy Yanko showed her abstract paintings in our second show. The “CultureSurfer 5” was a juried show in conjunction with CultureSurfer.com and featured local talents Laura Lloyd, Jennifer Hayes, Jovan Hansman, David Langley and Phil Jarvis. Our next big event will feature Thomas Yanko and Eric Nichols—both Saint Louis artists. Then I have a three artists show highlighting local talent this Spring.

Is there a particular theme or style of art that you are wanting to show?
In a gallery called “ABSTRAKT” you’d think all the art we featured was abstract in nature. That’s not the case. We ARE trying to showcase a variety of mediums and styles. We’re also looking to feature a good mix of emerging and established artists.  I’m looking to expand our offerings in the area of sculpture and photography.

I saw that a significant part of your mission is to give back to the community through art.  I love this aspect of Abstrak because it separates those galleries that see their role as a voice in and for the community from those that are merely a business that sells art.  How are you tangible accomplishing this?
So far, every exhibition opening and closing has been both a social function and a fundraising event. We typically have a recommended donation at the door and an art raffle.  Also, we offer 10% of any art sales back to the organization, and other creative opportunities to raise funds. We have worked with local and national charities including: College Bound, Judevine, Operation Smile, MS, Faces in the Loop…and our next event will benefit Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. So far, each of these nights have raised somewhere between $500 and $3500 for their respective charities.

That is incredible… What about art education or other outreach events? Is there anything like that on the horizon for Abstrakt?
I would like to. As a “for profit” gallery we need to sell art and rent the space to keep the doors open. That said, I would love to have weekly art talks and invite art classes from our local schools in to view the art and meet the artists. I think there could be a benefit to area businesses seeking to invigorate the creative side of their staffs through art workshops or seminars. I think churches and community groups could benefit from engaging with the artwork and artists as well.

You mentioned that Abstrakt has gallery available for rent…
Most definitely. We are certainly available for corporate events, weddings and receptions, office parties, family gatherings and so on. We can fit 150-190 into the place depending on how we configure the room. I’m open to working with promoters as well to book live music, theatrical projects or spoken word acts into the space as well. We had Javier Mendoza play for our last open and it sounded great. We also had a string quartet perform recently, and the acoustics worked very well in this space.

When is the gallery open?
Right now the hours are slated as Thursday through Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Or by appointment.

Upcoming Events @ Abstrakt
ABSTRAKT GALLERY presents the work of
TOM YANKO | ERIC NICHOLS
Dec 3 – Jan 9 @ ABSTRAKT GALLERY
OPEN: Thursday, December 3 – 7 PM
Proceeds Benefit Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
Tom Yanko offers up a series of architectural abstrakts.
Eric Nichols weaves wood and wire, paint and ceramics in ways that you must see to appreciate.

ABSTRAKT GALLERY presents our
FIRST ANNUAL ART GALA
Thursday, December 3 – 7 PM
This event is held in conjunction with the Yanko/Nichols Open.
The GALA brings back the work of: Paco Rosic, Kennedy Yanko, Phil Jarvis, Jennifer Hayes, Laura Lloyd and David Langley.  Several of these artists will be presenting new works for the event. We’d love to pack the house for this event and show our support for the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition