Grove merchants hope patrons run to Art Stroll Saturdays

ARTISTS AND GALLERY OWNERS HOPE A MONTHLY EVENT SIMILAR TO CORAL GABLES' GALLERY NIGHT WILL REVITALIZE COCONUT GROVE AS A HUB FOR THE FINE ARTS

BY DAVID SMILEY

dsmiley@MiamiHerald.com

CHRIS CUTRO/FOR THE MIAMI HERALD

Patti Hendon, right, and Jay Hendon, left rear, chat with artist Paco De La Torre IV about the inspiration for his paintings Saturday during the Coconut Grove Art Stroll at the Butter Gallery in Coconut Grove. Gallery owners are hoping the stroll will be as popular as one in Coral Gables.

When it comes to fine art in Miami-Dade, the first Friday of every month belongs to Coral Gables.

Since 1991, a few dozen art galleries have stayed open late as wine-sipping pedestrians bounce from storefront to storefront.

Hoping to create a similar buzz, about 10 Grove galleries have now claimed the first Saturday night of the month, calling it the Coconut Grove Art Stroll.

During the evening, between the hours of 7 and 11, Grove galleries are featuring artists while musicians and wine create atmosphere for customers drawn in by advertising or word of mouth.

Some hope the event will be a spark to ignite the embers lingering from the '60s and '70s, when the Grove was known as an artists community.

''I think a lot of artists and art events have been forgotten here, and we're trying to bring it back,'' said Cynthia Bettner, CocoWalk's marketing director, who named the event.

After the second event last Saturday, opinions on the results have been mixed.

''It's been going well,'' said Alex Yanes, the owner of Alternate Arts Space Gallery in CocoWalk.

Yanes, whose store sells contemporary art, such as graffiti and tattoo pieces, as well as hats and T-shirts, said he has seen more shoppers than usual and has made some sales.

But Barbara Tejada, director of the GroveHouse Artists, a local art group whose works are featured in the Heart of The Grove Gallery, said while people are coming in on Saturday nights, attendance hasn't been overwhelming.

''The response at this point hasn't been screaming like we've had tons of people coming in,'' she said. ``In Coral Gables, the first Friday you automatically think Gallery Walk. This hasn't reached that point yet.''

In an e-mail, Virginia Miller, who has coordinated the Gables' Gallery Night for more than 17 years, said the quality of the art, advertising and coordination were important keys to the event's success.

Miller also noted that when the Gables' event began, it had an advantage that no longer exists.

''There were no other gallery nights taking place in Greater Miami at that time, and we were able to pull people from all over South Florida, and later, when it got more popular, visitors came from other areas of this country and the world,'' she wrote.

Sachi Wagner, owner of Midori Gallery -- Antique Far Eastern Art, said the litany of gallery nights around the county and the oft-occuring Grove art events won't squeeze the Coconut Grove Art Stroll.

''I don't think everybody is fighting over the same sliver of pie,'' she said. ``There's a huge pie out there. There's plenty for everyone.''

Agreed, said Sheila Kuhl, who along with husband, Frank, owns the Coconut Grove Gallery & Interiors on Bird Road.

But Kuhl, whose gallery has not yet participated in the event, said she has watched other Grove efforts fail.

''A group tried about two or three years ago to do something similar and it just fizzled out,'' she said. ``It seems that a lot of these things don't have enough meat behind them.''

Kuhl said with enough coordination and effort, the Coconut Grove Art Stroll can become successful -- hopefully by the time the tourists return for the winter.

''The Gables has waves and goes up and down with Fridays, but they have maintained it,'' she said. ``There's no real reason why Coconut Grove can't do that.''