David F.
Yelp
An art gallery in Concord? Well, amazingly, yes. aRt Cottage is located a short walk from downtown Concord and has become a vibrant force for the local art community. Exhibits rotate monthly around a highly diverse set of themes, with accompanying openings where you can meet the artists and share music and food. Recent shows included new works from the Concord Art Association, Vietnam War art, The Body Revealed and a DVC artist show.
My wife and I stopped by for the first time on a recent Friday afternoon as the gallery was being set up for their sixth annual Holiday Boutique. The owner, FROgard Butler, friendly and outgoing, personally gave us a tour of the gallery, answering any questions we had. FRO is an artist and this gallery is her labor of love, a cottage she has creatively converted into a local gallery for art. While we were there, she also had an art class going out back with enthusiastic students that had put aside their phones for a couple hours to discover their analog, artistic side. Individual and group classes for adults and students in a variety of artistic mediums are available here.
The converted cottage makes for a funky gallery with small rooms that allow you to make a somewhat circular tour through the exhibits on display. I loved that there was no pressure here, no stuffy, uncomfortable atmosphere you get in the high-end San Francisco galleries. But that doesn't mean you can't find beautiful art, such as the ink studies by Lee von Rackel.
The aRt Cottage is a wonderful addition to the local art scene here in Concord. Definitely a find for East Bay art lovers.