Vibrant, almost abstract illustrations hang next to bold landscapes in oil on canvas. Wooden masks hang next to playful surrealist paintings.
Located at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Spruce Street, Ana’s Art Gallery may have only opened its doors a few weeks ago, but it’s a culmination of owner Ana Weir’s decades of work as a curator and broker for international artists. Deeply familiar with each artist’s story, Weir was ready to establish a permanent home in Boulder to showcase their work.
“I’ve been bringing in the art and showing it around for a long time, but I couldn’t do that in the pandemic,” Weir says. “Like everyone else, I was at a standstill.”
With an established catalog and a location mere steps from the Pearl Street Mall, Weir’s gallery makes for a bold and diverse addition to the Front Range art scene. Her collection—with artists hailing from Africa and Europe to the Caribbean—bridges numerous mediums and styles.
All the works are original, she explains, including the masks—there are no antiquities to be found in this gallery—and all were created by Black artists.
“It’s showing this community, any community, that there are other brilliant minds out there,” Weir says. “The artists are showing what happens in my culture, the way I think, the way I embrace things. It’s a very positive feeling.”
Bringing this bright and eclectic collection to Boulder is a joy for Weir, which is evident in how she speaks about each artist, subject or style. The warmth of the welcome, along with her intimate knowledge of the collection, enhances the charm of the space.
The gallery makes the most of the space, but Weir hasn’t put the whole collection on display just yet. If the rest of the works waiting in the wings are just as compelling, one can only hope the art sells quickly to open up new wall space.
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