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Business & Tech

30 and Counting: River's Edge Gallery Celebrates a Milestone

The anniversary of the Wyandotte Street Art Fair isn't the only thing being celebrated this week, as River's Edge Gallery marks three decades of connecting local artists with local art fans.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

--Aristotle

For three decades, has been an institution on Biddle Avenue, helping local artists connect with the community, and helping both express their inward significance.

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Now, as the city marks the 50th anniversary of the , the gallery also is marking its 30th anniversary, a feat for which many credit owner Patt Slack’s commitment to her mission of bringing artist and art lovers together.

As way to celebrate both occasions, River’s Edge Gallery will be looking to the future, but also looking back, especially keeping in mind some of the old friends who helped make the gallery what it is, but who also benefited from the gallery giving them a place to display their works.

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“It’s very much a symbiotic relationship,” said Patricia Izzo, a renowned international film artist who has been a part of the gallery for at least 20 years, though she admits with a laugh that she’s not really sure. “As artists, we understand the importance of a fine art gallery.”

During the street fair, all three floors of the gallery will be filled with the works of artists who have been showcased at the gallery over the past 30 years. In addition, from 6 to 9 p.m. each night of the fair, many of those artists will be returning to the gallery. For many, that also means returning to their roots to meet their fans.

Among the highlights:

  • On Saturday, Tony Miello of Detroit Fan Fare will be conducting live comic book drawings.
  • Performing and visual art will meet when Ken Brown, an old friend of the gallery, will be performing on some of the guitars he has hand painted over the years.
  • Special signed sports jerseys by Ed Lapere will be available. Lapere has been commissioned to do portraits of more than 80 athletes, including Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and Steve Yzerman.
  • Never-before-seen originals from the Memories of Detroit series by William Moss will be featured.

But while there certainly will be some special activities going on because of the street fair, the basic mission of River’s Edge Gallery remains the same, just as it has since its opening.

“We’ll do what we always do: We’ll be here to promote local artists,” said artist Jeremy Hansen, gallery director at River’s Edge. “This place is a Downriver institution. To be around for 30 years, when two out of three galleries around the state are closing, it goes to show that Patt has worked her tail off to stay in business.”

And while some people might think those struggling galleries are a result of the economy that continues to struggle, Izzo said it’s times like this that people need the arts even more. After all, when the gallery first opened in the early 1980s, Michigan and the Downriver area were going through economic struggles much like today, if not worse. Despite the tough climate during the first few years, River’s Edge has not only survived, but thrived.

“When times get dire, I think we actually need all of the arts–the music, the art, the poets, the theater–even more because our souls are hungry for that,” Izzo said. “We need things to look at to feed our souls.”

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