Out of the Box artist Tony Chece stands by his drawings at the studio’s new gallery at East Ferry Deli. The restaurant and studio will rotate the exhibitions on a monthly or bimonthly basis.
New items have been added to the proverbial menu at East Ferry Deli to supplement the selection of sandwiches, salads and soups.
The additions, however, are not edible.
Artwork from clients at the Out of the Box Studio & Gallery are now being displayed at the deli on a rotating basis with Tony Chece as the inaugural artist to be featured. The studio’s director, Casey Weibust, said she chose him for his “awesome, vibrant” drawings.
“His work is really strong and tells the story of Out of the Box,” she said.
Kristin Solomon, who is the inclusion specialist for the studio, spearheaded the collaboration through her friendship with the deli’s co-owner, Alyson Johnson. A similar partnership exists between local artists and another downtown eatery, Slice of Heaven.
“It’s such a great spot because it’s a very busy deli,” Solomon said. “A lot of people go in there. We’re trying to get our name out because a lot of people in Jamestown aren’t aware of our space or what we do. It was a nice little thing to be able to highlight it over there.”
Weibust agreed.
“It’s not like you have to reinvent the wheel,” she said. “The art is in a space where people are already going to.”
Weibust called it “a win-win” situation because, at no cost to either side, the deli benefits aesthetically as the studio benefits from the publicity.
“You get beautiful art on the walls … and then people in the community get to know more about the artists in Jamestown and Out of the Box,” she said.
The studio, like its parent agency in Middletown, Looking Upwards, is a nonprofit organization that serves people with developmental disabilities. Chece’s exhibition comprises five abstract drawings made with colored pencils that were all created at the studio. He also practices monotype printmaking.
“The way that he draws is very deliberate with his marks,” Weibust said. “You can tell through this work that art is a healing form for him. … He’s really passionate about it.”
Chece said he is “pretty proud” about displaying his six drawings to the public.
“I like them all,” he said. “They’re all awesome.”
Weibust plans to rotate the artists on a monthly or bimonthly basis. The artists who will be featured depends on which clients are interested in having their artwork displayed. She hopes people who see the exhibitions at the deli will take the quarter-mile trip to her studio at 11 Clinton Ave.
“It’s a space for everybody,” Weibust said. “It’s all inclusive. We just want people to know that we want to share with them, but we also want people to come and share with us.”
