By Francesca Lyn, December 2008
Photos by Robert Ellis
Independent, local artists are trying to do something different in Gainesville. Long known for its diverse music scene, Gainesville is quickly becoming a place for new and exciting artwork.  Not content with renderings of palm trees in oil paint or tranquil watercolor beach scenes, two artists are creating new perspectives on what galleries can display in Gainesville.

Bertos’s

A realized dream of the artist, Roberto Evans, Berto’s is a modest storefront art gallery located within the Sun Center. Colorful and spirited characters populated Evans’ work; strong primary colors dominate his canvasses. Anthropomorphized animals, robots and friendly appliances are reoccurring subjects as are painted scenes unique to Gainesville. Besides original painted canvases, Evans produces T-shirts, buttons, coloring books, ‘zines and postcards featuring his unique drawing style, which is influenced equal parts by cartoons and street art.
Sitting down with Evans, I was first struck by how young he looked.  In his mid-20s, he seems more like a college student than a gallery owner. A resident of the Pleasant Street neighborhood, Evans began Berto’s as his first independent business venture. He also has a wife and a young son, making him quite a busy man. In fact, you could say his son made him what he is today. A walk with his son led him to what would become Berto’s. Evans saw a “for rent” sign and took a risk on a dream of starting his own gallery. Doors opened in September and Evans said business is picking up.
Berto’s may have happened by chance but its hard work that keeps the gallery open. As the owner as well as the sole employee, Evans is in the gallery five days a week.  Evans, a Gainesville native, left town to attend Southeastern University.  There he took many elective classes in art. After he graduated with a degree in Ministry, he moved back to Gainesville because of the great sense of community and notable music scene. A guitar player himself, he explores music as a theme in his artwork.
Everything within Berto’s is affordable, even by broke college-student standards. A gray shirt with a pink walrus on it will set you back less than 20 bucks.  This is more than just a clever marketing scheme.  With a DIY ethos that reveals someone with a skate punk background, creating accessible art is vital to Evans’ practice. Eventually he wants to start giving art lessons for children and adults. He envisions being able to give scholarships for those who can’t afford to pay.  He also wants to make his art available in other cities.
At the close of our interview I asked him what aspect of his gallery is most important to him, he said, “The store is part of my life,” he pauses and takes another sip of coffee, “and it helps the other things happen.” With the wisdom and foresight of someone much older, he seems to know where his priorities truly lie.

Store 101

Store 101 gives off a big city vibe, akin to a New York City boutique.  Housed in what used to be a shoe repair shop, the store opened earlier this year. Downstairs is the actual storefront. T-shirts, hats, purses, toys and other curiosities are also for sale. Upstairs is an art gallery.
Kyle Cross and Nick Black had run a successful online T-shirt company called Gorilla Riot. Choosing Gainesville to open Store 101 happened by chance. Cross decided to move to Gainesville for family reasons at about the same time Black was looking to move out of Tampa. Gorilla Riot has since become one of the several in-house lines that Store 101 carries. Store 101 also carries other brands such as Kid Robot.
Like Berto’s art gallery, Store 101 aims to keep everything fair priced.  Unlike Evans, this is not Cross’s first gallery venture.  A graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, Cross also operates Digital Three Studios in Sarasota. The multimedia design space also doubles as a gallery.
It was this attitude toward attractive, fair-priced design that attracted local artist Ted Lincoln to Store 101. A graduate of San Francisco Art Institute, Lincoln has shown around the country. I met up with him as his show, “Lost in Perspectives” opened. The opening itself was a busy affair. Beer and sake flowed freely. A DJ downstairs played music in the middle of the store as people browsed. Upstairs, Lincoln answered questions from interested viewers.
Lincoln’s artwork features sumi ink applied to rice paper. These traditional materials are then combined with automotive clearcoat and applied to aluminum panels. The resulting images are murky and reference abstract landscapes. Like a Rorschach test, the images created become something to project your own ideas onto.  Lincoln, a Gainesville native himself, happened to come into Store 101 on a whim. That whim lead to participation in Store 101’s first group show, “The Good, The Rad, and The Fugly.” This relationship eventually led to “Lost in Perspectives.”
The store is ultimately geared toward a young, hip audience but I saw a wide range of people there. Quite a few were buying shirts; others just seemed to take in the store’s unique atmosphere. Many people were curious to see what Store 101 had to offer. Next, Cross and Black plan to have a few more shows featuring local artists. There is also a DIY Munny show in the works.
When painted well and with vision, landscape scenes of Florida are sublime. But these masterful works are not all Gainesville has to offer. Just has Gainesville has birthed a diverse music scene; the town has room for many perspectives in art that deserve to be seen.