2011 Article about Dennison-Moran Gallery (written by Thomas Hall of the Examiner)
The Third Street South Shopping District has a new resident. After spending nearly 14 years on Fifth Avenue South, Dennison-Moran Gallery has relocated to Twelfth Avenue South, where it joins the Olde Naples art community in a distinctive flamingo pink and parrot yellow leasehold just a block south of fabled Galler
y Row. Residents and visitors now have a another choice when it comes to fine art, sculpture, art jewelry, ceramics, glass and other fine crafts. The Dennison-Moran Gallery is located at 360 12th Avenue South in the Third Street South Shopping District of Olde Naples. It is just steps from the intersection of Twelfth Avenue and Third Street South, which is anchored by The Darvish Collection, Inc. Gallery of Fine Art and straddled by the world-famous Tommy Bahama Restaurant and island-inspired men’s apparel store. From the street, the gallery appears tiny, but it is deceptively deep. Guests are greeted by a mural on the wall of a small courtyard that leads to the gallery’s front doors, which open onto a four-foot wide hallway that runs the length of the gallery and unites the front viewing area with a number of smaller rooms in the back. Terracotta-colored ceramic tile laid on the diagonal, 2×8 ceiling beams painted powder blue, and light yellow ochre walls trimmed in white wainscoting imbue the space with a warm, friendly South Florida feel. Adding to the charm of the space is a large internal courtyard that the gallery shares with its neighbor. It is a secluded environ shaded by lush vegetation and flowering trees and sheltered by salmon and tan stucco walls that serve as backdrop for a dozen or more potted broad and variegated-leafed plants that provide visual interest and texture. Completed with brick pavers and glass and wrought-iron lawn furniture, the courtyard affords a perfect venue during the cooler winter months for outdoor receptions, exhibitions and art demonstrations. Dennison-Moran features impressionist, pop and op art in oil and acrylics, gold and silver art jewelry and fine crafts created by more than 150 American artists from throughout the United States who work in glass, ceramics, metal, fabric and wood. Representative Artists. The gallery showcases the plein air impressionist beach scenes and Naples cottages of co-owner Mary Crook Moran. Mary is a self-taught artist who began painting Naples scenes in a naive style (sometimes called primitive) in 1982, which she exhibited at local art guilds and sold at area art festivals. She quickly gained a following of collectors and eventually began painting large “life style” commissions depicting families, homes, activities, and pets in colorful acrylics. Her work began to win awards and was used on the covers of Naples Guide, Awakenings, and Peachtree Papers in Atlanta and several of Moran’s creations have made their way onto prints, note cards, tee shirts and tote bags. Today, her artistic style has evolved into plein air impressionism. Kathleen shows off glass case containing some of her jewelry.Also featured in the gallery is the art jewelry of Kathleen Dennison. She comes from an artistic heritage. A native of New York City, she spent her formative years being exposed not only to the culture of the city but being surrounded by the numerous artists her parents represented in their art business. Shortly after moving to Naples, she met renowned goldsmith Ruth Roach, who became Kathleen’s teacher, mentor and friend. Kathleen went on to study with metalsmiths Arline Fisch, Eleanor Moty, Marne Ryan and Deb Stoner, and she has been making handcrafted art jewelry now since 1972. Recent workshops in glass bead making have added a colorful new facet to her body of work. Using a medley of hammers, pliers, torches and precious metals, Kathleen fabricates each piece of her jewelry by hand, working to create items that are “original in design and lacking in commercialism.” Kathleen has been a Niche Award finalist and her work has earned her awards of excellence from Polk Museum’s Mayfair Art Show and Florida Craftsman CraftArt 2004 exhibition. She shares a studio with husband, Robert, who is also a goldsmith. In addition to Moran and the Dennisons, the gallery showcases paintings by Grace Ann Warn and internationally-acclaimed artist Leoma Lovegrove, who is herself a gallery owner with locations on Sanibel Island, Matlacha and in the downtown Fort Myers River District. The gallery is open seven days a week, year round. Its summer hours are 10:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon until 6 p.m. on Sunday. During the winter tourist season, the gallery is open 10 to 10; 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Ownership. As the name suggests, the gallery is owned by goldsmiths, Kathleen and Robert Dennison, and painter Mary Moran. “The fact that we, as owners, are artists ourselves enhances our strong relationship with the artists we represent and our eye for choosing original well-made work,” state the Dennisons and Moran. “In a world where everything is mass produced, our desire is to present an alternative … by providing an outlet for the creative talent of American artists with an emphasis on art jewelry, objects for the home, and gifts from kaleidoscopes to handbags, wind chimes and one of a kind blown glass … displayed in a bright, colorful, inviting atmosphere.”
