Tarentum's Manos Gallery to unveil new art exhibit
For Nivedita Eklahare, art is more than a picture.
“I love the smell of oil paint,” said Eklahare, a native of India who lives in Richland. “And I love using bright colors, especially in wintertime when the weather is dreary. I do a happy dance when I sell one of my paintings.”
Eklahare is one of five artists whose work will be showcased in an exhibit opening from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday at The Manos Gallery in Tarentum.
The event is free.
The exhibit will be displayed through Feb. 26.
Piano player Rob Gainor will provide musical entertainment.
Other featured artists are Aaron Jack, Santiago Proano, Amy McKay Butler and Bob Dow, along with others who previously have shown their work at the gallery.
Guests will be able to meet the artists, and most of the artwork will be for sale.
“I didn’t have a platform like this to showcase my art when I was younger, so I am happy to help artists get noticed,” said Ernesto Camacho Jr. of East Liberty, the gallery’s art director. “I am happy to give them a place to display their art.”
The 4,000-square-foot gallery opened in November.
Camacho’s partner, Brian DeFelices, owns the 100-year-old building. Area historian Cindy Homburg previously told the Tribune-Review the building was constructed in 1919 and opened in 1920 as the Palace Theater. The Manos family, who at one time operated more than 100 theaters in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, bought the Palace in 1949 and opened it as the Manos Theater in 1950. A bowling alley was located above the theater.
“The space is amazing. We wanted to keep the Manos name because it’s so much a part of Tarentum history,” Camacho said.
“This is my dream to give back to artists,” Camacho added. “It is so gratifying to see how excited they are when they are able to showcase their talents.”
They plan to showcase new artists each month.
In addition to gallery space, there are areas for artists to rent. When creating the interior look, Camacho and DeFelices left some of the original brick exposed throughout the space. They added pops of orange color.
Guests also can view Camacho’s work, which he describes as surrealism. He paints in oils and acrylics and is inspired by individuals such as Spanish artist Salvador Dali. Camacho, who doesn’t usually paint portraits, was inspired to create one of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Camacho will host events such as a scavenger hunt and a children’s painting class. The number of participants is limited because of Gov. Tom Wolf’s covid-19 orders for indoor capacity.
“The community has been so supportive, we are so happy to help Tarentum,” Camacho said. “There is so much potential in this area.”
The Manos Gallery is at 320 E. Fifth Ave.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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