A Beautiful Blend of Art, People and Fun
By
Julie Isphording
For
one artful evening, Alvin Roehr transformed The Roehr Agency into a unique art
gallery. The walls were filled with the life
story of renowned artist Cole Carothers, and the Agency’s halls were filled
with people gazing at the breathtaking scenes that would make anyone proud of
our city.
The
event—“Cole Carothers: Cincinnati Time”—was a celebration of more than 40 years
of Mr. Carothers’ work created while he was living in Cincinnati. It was a
spectacular display of four decades of exceptional paintings borrowed from
private collections, including new and unseen works.
This exhibition—co-hosted by Oakley art
gallery Caza Sikes—marked the first-ever retrospective show for Carothers. His large-scale Cincinnati masterpieces have
never been displayed in the same place.
Consequently, the exhibit included many gorgeous borrowed paintings from
the region accompanying the few remaining Cincinnati works for sale. Proceeds
from the evening art sales benefitted Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, a non-profit
dedicated to the beautification of Cincinnati.
Alvin Roehr and the
father-son owners of Caza Sikes, Reid and Evan Sikes—also announced their new
partnership. The business blend of the
gallery—a nationally recognized appraisal specialist in fine art paintings,
antiques, and other high value collectibles—and The Roehr Agency which is a
full-service insurance agency truly benefits anyone who owns art work or something
valuable.
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| The Cole Carothers painting—Roebling Bridge-- that was reprinted for the 2018 W & S Thanksgiving Day Race award winners |
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| Reid Sikes from art gallery, Caza Sikes, artist Cole Carothers, Alvin Roehr and Evan Sikes with one of Carothers “Cincinnati Collection” oil paintings in background |
This year’s award to the winners of the
Western & Southern Thanksgiving Day Race, including the Keating Family—who
won the W & S Family Award—was an unlimited and exclusive print from
Cincinnati native and artist Cole Carothers
From 2011-2013 his
paintings were hung in the Ohio Governor's executive offices in Columbus,
Ohio. He also has a current installation
in the U.S. Ambassador's office in Nairobi, Kenya. Carothers doesn’t run, but
he admires the beauty, elegance and joy of every runner he sees!
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| Two of the hundreds of guests to experience Cole Carothers “Cincinnati Collection” of wall-size oil paintings at The Roehr Agency |
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| Renowned Cincinnati artist Cole Carothers and Joan Roehr with one of their Carothers favorite oil paintings in background. |
Gallery Caza Sikes Leads the Art Renaissance of Oakley
Opened in 2017,
Caza Sikes is owned by father-son team, Reid and Evan Sikes. Both bring to the
table a vast knowledge of art and history and a passion for customer service.
Upon entering the beautiful and airy gallery space, you are immediately drawn
to the space.
Colorful
images line the walls and floors, and there are many different styles on
display. From handmade furniture - including elegantly contemporary wood pieces
- to elaborately carved sculptures that seemingly jump out of the wall. Everything is artistically placed to capture
your imagination and often your heart.
Featuring both
local artists and those from as far away as New Mexico and New England, this
carefully curated gallery presents a wide array of fiber art, photography,
glass, mixed media, ceramics, woodwork, sculpture, jewelry, paintings and more.
Works are affordable and obtainable.
The team of
Evan Sikes, Reid Sikes, and Heather Sponaugle also offer full service personal
property appraisal of antiques, fine and decorative arts, furniture, paintings
and prints and other high end collectibles.
Lending itself
to the charm of the gallery is the space itself, home for over a century to
Oakley Paint and Glass (now just down the road), the building retains
industrial charm and is reclaimed as the home to the gallery and an event space
for special events especially for charities.
Visit www.cazasikes.com
for more information regarding artists, exhibitions, venue rental and events:
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| Reid Sikes from art gallery, Caza Sikes, artist Cole Carothers, Julie Isphording, speaker event director and author, Alvin Roehr and Evan Sikes with one of Carothers “Cincinnati Collection” oil paintings in background |
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| Alvin Roehr, CEO of The Roehr Agency,(second from right) being the heartwarming host of the Cole Carothers art exhibit at the Roehr Agency with Julie Isphording Speaker, Event Director, Author and guest to his left |
Wonderful Reasons to Visit Art Galleries
Father-son
team, Reid and Evan Sikes, owners of the Oakley gallery CAZA Sikes have quite a
few reasons:
·
Free Admission
They
say the best things in life are free. You can quietly walk around and
enjoy your visual feast. It's free of charge. What could be better?
·
See famous art NOW
You
can get acquainted with artists and their work before they become famous or
even while they're growing in popularity and price. By gallery hopping,
you can call yourself a trend spotter or even a trendsetter.
·
Meditation
Nothing
carries you away and clears your mind like visiting art galleries. It's
like getting a quiet education. It’s meditative and fun. Art
galleries often restore this great sense of calm and peace.
·
Creativity
Being
around art and in the company of creative people makes you more creative.
Don't get caught up on how, just enjoy your new found process.
·
Support small business
You
may not buy anything, but when you visit a gallery or any retailer for that
matter, you're setting into motion a chain of possibilities for them.
Possibilities don't pay the bills, but they're better than no visitors at
all. Word of mouth and the power of attraction should be taken seriously.
·
Art Education
A
really good art gallery will have friendly, educated staffers on hand who can
tell you all about the art that you're seeing in addition to some things about
the artist.
·
Community
Art teaches us that we are part
of something much larger than ourselves. You can see this quite clearly
during gallery exhibition openings. There's nothing like being amid a
crowd of people who love art. You may or may not find experts in the
crowd, regardless; it'll feel great to be among a group of art
lovers.
·
Fun
Art
is just plain fun. So are art galleries. You have the power to pick
and choose the art that you like and want to spend time with. Enjoy.
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