I found this gem in Village of the Arts in Bradenton, FL while exploring the village!…read more Owner, Mark Gagnon, was so welcoming! He moved to the Bradenton, FL area from Massachusetts about 7-8 years ago and opened up Monark (with his wife Monica... Monica and Mark = Monark) to showcase his art and custom framing along with a gallery to showcase and sell other artists' beautiful works. I purposely don't take many close-up photos of people's artwork because I know it's special but Mark gladly let me take a few pics around the gallery so those of you who see this review can get an idea of the beautiful space and offerings. Mark creates most of the abstract paintings and showed us one that he said was one of the few good things to come out of the pandemic. He has created an amazing, abstract painting of sparkling color on black represents a city of lights. I believe abstract is so wonderful because it's meaning and what you see can be very subjective to the person viewing it but this piece is terrific and I think I could look at it over and over and find something new each time! Another piece he did with golds and aquas which you can see on the wall in one of my photos, is so beautiful. I immediately saw a bird in part of the painting and felt a burst of joy from the beautiful colors. Mark also does custom framing and in one of my photos you can see some of the selection of frames. He explained how he has been framing for many years in Massachusetts and when he moved here and opened his business, he realized quickly that he needed to add brighter colors to his available frames for his Florida clientele. I was immediately drawn to some of the bright-colored frames and already plan to have a favorite print framed in one. Monark gallery also showcases quite a few other artists in the community. There are amazing prints, jewelry, woodwork, floral arrangements, silks, and more! My friend with me has been searching for the right tables for her house and found 2 at the gallery. Mark also delivers for a really reasonable fee if you buy a bigger piece of art and need help getting it to your space. His regular hours are limited but you can visit by appointment on many days the shop is not open for regular hours. You can also visit during the Village of the Arts monthly Art Walk which happens on the first Friday and Saturday. Mark also took the time to give us some suggestions for other places to visit and restaurants to try. He let me know about the Jazz Festival in Bradenton after I commented on a print of a jazz artist he had framed. Don't miss checking out this charming gallery and framing studio to support a local artists and business owner!

Found in village of the arts , this gallery has a variety of art for sale. Mark will custom frame…read moreanything you bring him. Art, photographs, or any memory you want to highlight and keep forever safe behind glass. Mark is friendly and great to work with. Bring your ideas , or listen to Mark's creative vision.

I love the diversity of the artwork and the level of talent. Really outstanding work! The staff is…read moreso friendly and knowledgeable. Each time I visit they are ready to answer any questions i have and have even offered to ship an item for me if need be.

I love the eclectic art at Uptown and the diverse artists that exhibit and sell their art at this…read moregallery. When I bought my home here I wanted to have only local; artists work in my home and I was able to buy several pieces here over the last couple of years. What is really nice about this gallery is that the arists work is constantly changing and being updated so what was in the gallery last month will change the next month. This way you can find different pieces from your favorite local artist. This original art is very affordable and its great to sometimes meet the actual artists.

Took my kids here to paint and they shipped our art to us back in NY after firing the paint on!…read more Would definitely go again on our next vacation to South West Florida!

We had a wonderful experience with our instructor Gina @ the Artful - my husband & I took a…read moreprivate wheel throwing class & she was an amazing teacher - we not only learned a lot but created 3 pieces of pottery each ! In a couple of weeks - our pieces will be ready to be painted by us; then they'll finish those off in their kiln (all steps included in the very reasonable price for the class) - wonderful rainy day or hot summer indoor activity. We also shared the space with an adorable group of children celebrating a birthday and they were all having the best time painting pre made pottery - and enjoyed cupcakes on the picnic tables outside. Afterwards, make sure to visit their gallery for more inspiration and great gifts. Plenty of on-site free parking and several restaurants as well. Sign up for classes in advance online or stop in to paint

Always an interesting mix of styles and genres. Worth the visit. Reasonably priced local art. EZ…read moreparking and access.

This place is what a local gallery should be. Relaxing, well-organized, with pieces priced from a…read morefew bucks to a couple hundred, the gallery features local artists inspired by Island scenes as well as wider subjects. Oil on canvas, watercolor and photographs are the lion's share of the collection, but they also have some jewelry and crafts--way better than what you'll find in the gift shops, nice as any larger gallery, but not ostentatious. Straight off the beach, we enjoyed a bit of browsing and made A couple of small purchases. Since this supports the local artist guild, I sincerely hope they do great!

Didn't realize this was even reviewed here or I would've taken some photos as I was at two pirates…read morespring training games this week alone. Totally run down, food, lots of homeless. I believe four or five years ago. It was a lot better, but now, stay away. Very sad.

We met friends for lunch in downtown Bradenton and our friends had seen an ad for this art village…read more So we took a short drive over there and ... well, maybe we missed something. We parked in a sandy open lot, that featured various trash strewn about, and started walking down the sidewalk. There were some houses that were painted in bright varying colors. Most appeared to be private homes with security cameras and signs indicating we should stay away. There was nobody around. We found one shop that was open... they sold a bunch of new age-y stuff and smelled heavily of incense. Very pleasant young woman at the counter. Otherwise, it appeared to be a rather run down sketchy neighborhood that you wouldn't want to walk through at night. Not clear on what the attraction is. I'm just glad we didn't travel out of our way to get there. We were there 20 minutes!

I love this store. They have so many decorative pieces to make your hime a Florida theme!…read more Spent quite awhile checking out all the stuff. I try to come here every time we visit relatives in Sun City Center. All the things in this gallery are u inquest. Not the regular shipped from China stuff. Highly recommend that you stop by.

Love this store! They have beautiful lamps, many accessories for the home, paintings, and can…read morerewire small chandeliers, lamps!