Alex Slato
2:45pm | Unless I’m grossly under-informed, the Naples area of Long Beach does not have its fair share of art galleries. Beginning Saturday, Naples Fine Art Center (NFAC) will do its part to fill that void with its 3,200 sq. feet and two gallery spaces.
“We’re definitely looking to bring culture and arts to the Naples area,” says gallery director Erika de la Parra, who explains that the NFAC will house both a permanent collection and successive exhibits. The first one, “The Return of Mexican Masters,” features the work of David Alfaro Siqueiros, as well that of Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Franciso Zuñiga, Rafael Coronel, and others.
De la Parra and company had long been looking for a Naples spot to open up a gallery, when the space at 5700 E. Second St., a one-time Laundromat became available.
The NFAC will specialize in Latin-American art, with de la Tarra’s previous arts experience including over five years working for the Museum of Latin American Art (MoLAA).
Alex Slato, also a MoLAA alum, is also involved with NFAC, describing himself as “kind of like a big brother” to the NFAC board. Slato states that the NFAC will provide various arts services, such as appraisals and restorations.
Periodically the NFAC plans to feature cultural events, lectures, and on occasion even happening as ambitious as their first scheduled non-painting-related event: Alive Theatre’s production of one of my favorite plays, Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which opens November 5.
To coincide with the Belmont Shore Art Walk, the Naples Fine Art Center’s grand opening is this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Expect refreshments and some scenes from Alive Theatre’s Shakespeare à la Carte.
The Naples Fine Art Center is located at 5700 E. 2nd St. (yes, I know I said that above), at Ravenna (there’s something new!). Parking is in the rear. For more information, visit naplesfineartcenter.com.