Shame on me. In the 20+ years that I have lived in Matthews, NC I have had yet to stroll Main Street of neighboring Monroe. Honestly, I’ve never had reason to until Presson Gallery put the destination on my radar. I ventured to Monroe last Saturday afternoon, March 16 following the gallery’s opening event the evening before. The sun filled street bustled with St. Paddy Day music and festivity – green clad beer crawlers filing through a revitalized stretch of entertainment, retail, restaurants, and residential spaces; the history and charm of small-town America left in-tact.

While one might not expect high art in “low country” adjacent communities like Monroe, Presson Gallery is a fitting addition, nestling a cultural respite among S. Main Street’s variety of offerings. The vision of father/daughter combo Scott Purdy and Audrey Allen, Presson represents over 30 regionally, nationally, and internationally known artists. The space is split between front and back galleries. The front gallery houses small to mid-size works and is organized in a way that allows visitors to acquaint and orient themselves with individual artists’ works on a more intimate level. The back gallery provides additional wall space for larger canvases.

Each visit to Presson Gallery will provide fresh experiences, as this group exhibition is living and will evolve organically over time as new works are continuously cycled. The selection of works promises something for everyone from both media and subject standpoint. Whether mixed media, paintings, ceramics, and textiles, or portraiture, still lifes, landscapes, and abstracts, the viewer will encounter experiences ranging from quiet repose (e.g., John Morris, “Jade”) to whimsy (e.g., Angela Lubinecky’s “WOOHOO!).

Impactful when transitioning from front to back gallery is Michael Patterson’s acrylic canvas “Hearding Cattle” which floats triangular figures against a rich ground of blues and grays. Katrina Nixon’s landscape “River Glow” is deep and rich capturing a vague recollection of time and place. These are just a few of my notables amongst many, including (but not limited to) works by Mark Milazzo, Mikel Frank, and Rupam Varma.

Art, of course, is both personal and subjective, so carve out an evening or weekend afternoon with friend and/or family to visit S. Main Street in Monroe and make Presson Gallery part of that journey to experience, and to enjoy, and to reflect.