The old Martin County Courthouse has been restored to its original 1937 architectural design and houses two fine art galleries. Displays feature works by local artists. A new exhibition opens on the First Thursday of each month, October through May. For a list of participating galleries open on First Thursday, 5-8 pm, visit the website. Court House Cultural Center hours are 10-4, Monday - Friday or by appointment. Admission to the center is by donation.

Click on the heading to read Exhibitions   8/16/2007 - Potters with Passion Juried Exhibit - October 4 - 19, 2007   Colorful glazes, hand-built, wheel thrown, and porcelain bring an earthy feel to the kick off of this season’s monthly art feature First Thursday. The event will feature the works of 75 Treasure Coast potters in the exhibit Potters with Passion from October 4th to October 19th. From garden art, statues, sculpture, and tiles, the exhibit the first show of its kind at Stuart’s Court House Cultural Center exclusively dedicated to the area’s working potters. The work is as varied as the techniques used to create them. Shotsi Lajoie from Vero Beach breathes life and emotion into hand-built Naked Raku women. Jensen Beach based potter and owner Clay Habit Studio, Mia Lindberg’s work was formed by coiling clay then she meticulously etched the work to create a statuesque cat figure with an Egyptian flair named “Ode Du Purrd-A-La.” Ellen Bates’s of Palm City offers refined porcelain in functional pottery thrown on a wheel with stunning glazes and rattan on her Asian inspired teapot. Each artist applied for the show providing three works for review with a total of 25 participating artists which include: Tami Conrad Hobe Sound FL Debbie Bowden Jensen Bch FL Mia Lindberg Jensen Bch FL T.Steven Dick Jupiter FL Ellen Bates Palm City FL Terri Cauthern Palm City FL Howard Gibbons Palm City FL Carolyn Walsh Palm City FL Adam Balfour PBG FL Jeff Forster PBG FL Marianne Arcadipane-Todar PSL FL Judy Coffman PSL FL Gail McCarthy PSL FL Susan Mottice PSL FL Mary Natiello PSL FL Sharon Rodriquez PSL FL Lori Thompson PSL FL Alexandra Akerberg Stuart FL Jeanne Bosio Stuart FL Marilyn Minter Stuart FL Leslie Perna Stuart FL Joellen Schillaci Stuart FL Carlee Weston Stuart FL Mary Wong Stuart FL Shotsi Lajoie Vero Bch FL A reception will begin at 5 p.m. at the Court House Cultural Center with snacks and beverages, and awards will be presented at 6 p.m. on October 4th. This event is one of many First Thursday gallery events throughout Martin County. For information visit the Arts Council website at www.martinarts.org or call 772-287-6676. Image MiaLindberg's Cat2.   Top ^ 9/25/2007 - Plein-air Stuart, Community Paint Out - October 25-28. 2007   Stuart continues its successful Plein-air series from October 25 – 28 with a series of events sponsored by the Arts Council. Artists will begin painting on Thursday, October 25 and continue throughout the weekend on October 27 and 28. Regional artists have been invited to display their work on Saturday, October 27 next to the Court House Cultural Center grounds. Throughout the event artworks will be on display and available for purchase. The public is welcome to watch and learn during the Plein-air event. Plein-air means “in the open air” taking artists out into the Florida elements to capture nature’s unique light and shadows which are impossible to replicate within an artist’s studio. An art workshop on October 26 and 27 coincides with the fair in downtown Stuart. Artist Dennis Aufiery from the Armory Arts Center guides participants and works with them with simple compositions that provide a spontaneous painting experience, creating light, space and form through color. The workshop fee is $100 for Arts Council members, and $125 for non-members. The fee covers the 2-day workshop, and is non-refundable after 10/22/07. The workshop supply list may be sent via email, faxed, or emailed to your home or office. A printable pdf file is available about the workshop on the news and events page at www.martinarts.org. The workshop is presented by the Arts Council, Inc. Selected Plein-air paintings will be displayed at the Court House Cultural Center Gallery on First Thursday, November 1 which is one stop of 20 galleries that are on the First Thursday map, from Hobe Sound to Jensen Beach. The exhibition continues until November 9. Join The Arts Council, its members, guests, associates, art patrons, and art lovers for this Plein-air event in October.   Top ^