Recently, another gallery has been added to the list, putting a heartwarming twist into the mix and letting the buyers and viewers walk away with more than just a painting.
Located on North State Road 37 Business, the International Art Project is more than 3,000 square feet , exhibiting artwork from around the world.
Viewers get to walk away with a piece of the world, a glimpse into someone’s story miles away.
There is not much advertising for it, and the gallery itself is hidden within the space of an automobile dealership, Premium Exotic Wholesale.
However, when someone walks into the gallery, the presence of automobiles is not apparent, except for maybe the painted ones on the wall.
Along with paintings of cars, there are abstract pieces, animals, people, buildings and beautiful scenery, all of which are organized throughout the gallery in specified rooms. There is a range of painting styles, giving visitors the opportunity to find something to suit their taste.
The gallery contains photo-realism, impressionism, abstract art and surrealism. The paintings vary in size and scope. Additionally, visitors can find canvases done in oil, acrylic, charcoal and pastel.
The owner, Daniel Gupta , grew up in Bloomington and graduated from IU in 2007.
After graduating, he opened a car dealership and realized how much he enjoyed working for himself. He later opened the gallery so he could have a way to help others through art.
“It first started in my driveway and ended up getting a place in the middle of town on Walnut Street,” Gupta said. “We just had a small lot and then we were able to get this place, and now it’s an all-indoor facility, and we cater to very specific clients. Primarily, they’re all out of town and we deal with high-end sports cars and diesel trucks.”
What started out as a self-started business turned into an opportunity to help others in need, in more ways than one.
“Well after the automotive business started getting successful I wanted to do something that would keep me traveling, have some adventure as well as do some good for the world, and I kind of thought of and created this idea,” Gupta said.
The gallery had its official grand opening April 5, 2014.
Upon the opening of their gallery, internationally-known artist Pavel Foreman traveled to Bloomington to paint a mural on the garage door of the gallery.
The mural can be seen even when passing the space, letting visitors know that there is more to the space than an automobile dealership.
The International Art Project is a journey a visitor can experience just by walking through the gallery.
For example, there is a wall in the gallery covered with paintings of tropical birds.
At first, viewers are likely to believe they are staring at a photograph. A tropical red bird perched on a branch surrounded by greenery.
Only after stepping closer does it become apparent that this is in fact a painting, not a photograph.
It quickly becomes evident that there is an abundance of talented artists in the world, with a medium like International Art Project, viewers can get a glimpse of this talent from oceans away.
Gupta travels to many countries throughout the world to discover artists who might want to sell their artwork and create more.
“We try and tour primarily developing countries where people don’t have the funds to sustain being an artist as a living,” Gupta said. “I find the artists by all different means, like going to markets, word of mouth, going to galleries. Oftentimes, I just end up in their houses.”
Recently Daniel returned from a trip to Costa Rica. He also collects artwork from Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Panama, India and several other countries.
The International Art Project is dedicated to giving back a percentage of the profits to the countries the art was collected from. Twenty percent of the proceeds go back to help the communities’ particular needs, which could include delivery of basic school supplies, clothing, food and medicine.
“As of right now I’ve definitely helped schools out, and they’re able to buy a bunch of chairs for a certain school in Nicaragua,” Gupta said. “We’ve fed several villages and brought in giant 50-pound bags of rice and beans and all that to many families. As far as the big school, that’s the future hope. We’re just starting out.”
Gupta said the search for the artist and hearing their story is one of the best parts of running the gallery.
“It’s always an adventure finding them, and if I find someone and I really like their work, I take their story and some photos of them,” Gupta said.
The gallery has only been open for a couple months, but Gupta has already reached many of his goals and continues to move forward in building connections with artists around the world while bringing their work to Bloomington.
“I’ve gone to the same place a couple times, but generally I try to make my rounds and collect artwork from all over the world,” Gupta said. “The shortest trips can be a week, but I can maybe be gone for a month or a month and a half at a time. It depends where I’m going.
“When I bring their artwork here and people see their artwork and like it and we’re able to sell their pieces, then I can go back to them and help them create more artwork and help them develop their career,” Gupta said.
