One of Charlotte’s oldest neighborhoods now has one of the city’s newest art galleries. Arcadia Art Consultancy is quietly displaying major masterworks in Dilworth alongside contemporary artists before the pieces slip back into private collections. And, the exhibitions are free.
Arcadia has provided guidance to private and corporate art collectors since 2017. It also handles appraisals, collection management and private sales. The company opened its gallery in the fall in an unassuming, two-story house turned office at 1620 Scott Ave. near East Boulevard and Kenilworth Avenue.
“We’re continually hoping to just Infuse this city with new art that you wouldn’t otherwise see here,” Arcadia managing partner Kait McElwee told The Charlotte Observer during a recent tour of the gallery.
Arcadia Art Consultancy has opened an office and art gallery in Charlotte. “We really want people to know this is here and they can come visit. We don’t want it to just be for us,” said Kait McElwee, managing partner of the firm said.
(Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez/mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com)
A look inside Arcadia Art Consultancy’s Dilworth gallery
Eight paintings in gold frames hang on white gallery walls in a 1,000-square-foot room that doubles as Arcadia’s office space with three desks behind low glass cubicle walls.
Arcadia’s current exhibition is “Ways of Seeing: Impressionism and Its Contemporaries,” showcasing works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and Mary Cassatt. The exhibition explores how Impressionism reshaped artistic approaches to light, color and subject matter, and runs through Feb. 25.
“Our gallery program will feature a dynamic rotation of exhibitions spanning both the primary and secondary markets, with a focus on exceptional works from the 19th and 20th centuries alongside leading contemporary artists,” said Sarah Willoughby, Arcadia advisory and appraisals employee.
Arcadia Art Consultancy opened a new Dilworth gallery on Scott Ave, debuting “Ways of Seeing: Impressionism and Its Contemporaries,” showcasing works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent and Mary Cassatt. The exhibition explores how Impressionism reshaped artistic approaches to light, color and subject matter, according to Arcadia.
(Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez/mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com)
Arcadia works with private collectors and institutions around the world.
“We work with a lot of collectors that want to divest for one reason another might not work in their collection,” McElwee said. “A lot of these pieces haven’t been publicly offered in decades, if not the better part of a century.”
Winslow Homer, “The Shepherdess,” oil on canvass mounted to board.
(Arcadia Art Consultancy)
The current exhibition features “titans of American art,” including works like Homer’s oil painting “The Shepherdess,” Cassatt’s pastel “Portrait of a Woman Wearing a Red Jabot” and Sargent’s “Sir William Headworth Williamson, 10th Baronet” charcoal portrait.
McElwee explained the history and importance of each piece. Though Homer’s work is small, she called it “our mightiest piece,” and added, ”There’s nowhere else you can see a Winslow Homer anywhere around here.”
Cassatt, who had a studio next door to Pierre-Auguste Renoir, elevated pastels from simple preparatory sketches into finished works of art. Sargent, one of the Gilded Age era’s most revered portrait artists, painted “pretty much every notable member of society and political figure” in Europe and the U.S.
“This is a rare opportunity to see these works before they’re not available to the public again,” McElwee said.
John Singer Sargent, “Sir William Headworth Williamson, 10th Baronet,” charcoal on paper.
(Arcadia Art Consultancy)
For Arcadia, connecting the history and story of each piece is central to its mission.
“We approached all of the work here from our historical lens,” McElwee said, “and make sure that we’re really bringing it back to why we love art in the first place versus this being a place of transactions.
“Our goal is to just continually inject new art into the city and keep it moving, so this can be a continual place that you can come back to and see new work,” she added.
Mary Cassatt, “Portrait of a Woman Wearing a Red Jabot,” pastel on paper.
(Arcadia Art Consultancy)
Arcadia’s evolution and growth
McElwee founded Arcadia as an appraisal firm. Think “Antiques Road Show,” she said.
“We quickly learned that there are a lot of needs that collectors weren’t getting filled in most situations, and we decided to fill that gap for them,” McElwee said. “Our goal is to be with our clients for the long term, so help them build their collections, manage their collections, and ultimately figure out what they’re going to do with their collections in the short and long term. It’s all about relationships.”
The firm’s physical space evolved out of its growth, which has ballooned from three staff members two years ago to 11 full-time employees today, McElwee said. Among the new positions are registrar and a director of private sales.
Frank Reed Whiteside, “Zuni Village Garden,” oil on canvas.
(Arcadia Art Consultancy)
McElwee said Arcadia needed an office and decided it also was an opportunity to add another public gallery venue in Charlotte.
This expansion has largely been driven by Arcadia’s focus on private sales, an increasingly popular alternative to the volatility of auction houses, McElwee said. This approach allows collectors to sell works in a more relationship-focused, risk-averse environment.
As an independent third party, Arcadia has no obligation to any dealer, gallery or auction house.
“We’re just seeing a shift in how people want to collect. It used to be the case that a lot of people were collecting just for status or just to acquire a piece to show off and impress guests at a cocktail party,” McElwee said. “But we’re finding that most collectors these days want a much more personal connection to the art they want.”
Arcadia has other works available for sale that aren’t on display, including from pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. A Pablo Picasso piece sold last month for an undisclosed price. McElwee said they also get the occasional Andy Warhol, including “Mao,” a 1973 sequential Xerox print on paper.
“We’re very protective of the pieces that come in and try to make sure that we do it all the right way,” McElwee said of handling and displaying works.
Ralph Albert Blakelock, “The Afterglow,” oil on canvas.
(Arcadia Art Gallery)
Making art accessible in Charlotte
The Charlotte business was founded on a philosophy that seeks to “demystify” the opaque art world. Acknowledging that private galleries can feel daunting and intimidating, McElwee said Arcadia is committed to breaking down this barrier. She encouraged the public to visit, where Arcadia staffs can offer in-depth conversations on each piece, framing the experience as one of shared passion rather than a simple transaction.
Arcadia’s next exhibition, “Time Slot” by Richmond, Virginia-based artist Leigh Suggs, runs from Feb. 26 to April 22. The gallery is open 10 a.m.-5p.m. Monday-Friday, and by appointment.
“What really brings me joy is getting other people to see art,” McElwee said. “We just want to make sure people know that we’re here and that they’re welcome to come in.”
Arcadia Art Consultancy opened a new Dilworth gallery on Scott Avenue. Its first exhibit is “Ways of Seeing: Impressionism and Its Contemporaries.”
(Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez/mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com)
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