UFORGE Gallery

I recently received an email promoting a miniatures display at UForge Gallery. I was interested in checking it out and went to visit the same day. The Gallery was easy to find despite having never been to that part of the neighborhood before.
Upon entering the gallery, vendors were set up selling their wares as a Holiday Fair was happening. Seeing a door at the back of the room, I assumed the miniatures were in another room or on another floor… Nope. The door was to a closet. Where were the miniatures? Were they moved to accommodate the «fair»? (If it can be called that given there were fewer than 10 artists present.) Did the exhibit end early and my sources were inaccurate? No. Their Facebook page indicated that it was still up and running for a few more days. Unfortunately, the only miniature I actually saw that day was the gallery itself which consisted of only one small room. I won’t be back.

I had a great experience hosting an event at UForge back in May. I threw a party in conjunction with the Warhol exhibit, and I had a great time. The gallery was the perfect venue for a party, and it held close to 80 people comfortably. The rental fee was reasonable, the back space served as a prep room for food and drinks, and the owners worked with my schedule to get the gallery ready for the party. It was a huge success and I would recommend UForge as a function space.

Love the concept. Love that it’s locally owned and feels truly JP. Love the themes, love the diversity of work.
My only gripe? Everything is so small! I know that larger pieces would limit the number of entries (though I wouldn’t mind more rows of work on the walls, 19^th century French salon style). I also know that larger pieces command larger prices and in theory can be harder to sell because of that… but I much prefer larger work. I feel it makes for a more interesting show. I, personally, am also more likely to buy a larger piece because when I plop down a wad of cash for some art, I want it to be the focal point of my wall, not tucked away in a corner or in a cute little assembly with other pieces. I don’t need 5×5′ canvases, but maybe 2×3′ to start? So yeah… maybe that’s just me but I thought I’d put it out there.
Also, can we get a Duchamp theme sometime? It seems only fitting. :)

For all my grumbling about JP’s middle-​of-​nowhereness (it’s like pulling teeth getting people to come out here for anything), I love my neighborhood and its thrift stores, dog walkers, artsy kids, parks and trees.
UForge is an absolutely perfect addition to the community. Unlike pretty much every other gallery, UForge accepts submissions on a first-​come, first-​serve basis, which means anyone can have their art displayed; there’s no panel to frown upon beginner attempts or limit creativity.
Which means *I* can submit art (and I will). YOU can submit art. What’s more, there are monthly assignments to lend inspiration. The reason I love writing for Unilocal is I have a specific subject to write about, and now I have motivation to pick my paintbrush back up; the next few themes include Andy Warhol, portraits, and primary colors.
While wandering around the gallery I had a chance to talk to Uforge’s co-​owner, Rob. He was really excited about the success of opening night (400 people attended) and community interest in future exhibits. He explained to me that artists are allowed to submit work for any theme, months in advance in some cases. He also told me that in a few weeks the back room of the gallery would be available for artists to book their own exhibits.
Uforge has vast potential as a creative outlet, event space and meeting spot for local artists, and I’m thrilled it’s within walking distance. Welcome to the neighborhood!