Photos by Garrett Cook Gallery director William Lykins stands beside Cheerio, a 50"H x 49"W x 18"D sculpture by Brandon Reese. Behind Lykins is Yellow Perkies, a 72"H x 53"W mixed-media work on a panel by John Randall Nelson.

SPOTLIGHT

DIRECTOR—William Lykins

OPENED—2001, Scottsdale location

LOCATION—7160 E. Main St., Scottsdale

HOURS—Tues.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

PHONE—(480) 429-0711

WEBSITE—gebertartaz.com

BACKGROUND—In 2000, Ursula and Stephen Gebert shared their love of Contemporary art when they founded two Santa Fe galleries. Their third gallery, Gebert Contemporary (aka Chiaroscuro), opened its doors in Scottsdale a year later with an edgy flair that sets the space apart from many of the art district’s more traditionally focused galleries.

To create the Modern-style gallery they envisioned, the Geberts remodeled what previously had been a Southwestern gallery. “We reconfigured the space to suit the art we show,” says William Lykins, Gebert Contemporary’s director. Along with a new concrete exterior and green-tinted glass pillars, large-scale abstract outdoor sculptures that change with each exhibition form the unique “street presence” the owners sought. Inside, the Geberts excavated the center of the building, creating a lower level for displaying larger pieces. With the renovations, the gallery is able to showcase Contemporary paintings and sculptures, as well as performance art, videos and installations.

Since opening, Gebert Contemporary’s client base has grown in number and variety, says Lykins; and recently, he adds, collectors of traditional Realistic art have shown an increasing interest in Modern pieces and often will mix styles. “Contemporary art is not exclusive to Contemporary homes,” the gallery director offers. “A Contemporary painting can hold its own in a historic home as well as it can in a cutting-edge home.”

SPECIALTY—Gebert Contemporary showcases paintings, sculpture, video, installation and performance arts.

ARTISTS—Among 40 national and international artists are Dirk De Bruycker, Simon Casson, Gloria Gaddis, Bernd Haussmann, Judith Kindler, Christopher Makos, Betty Merken, Marcia Myers, John Randall Nelson, Udo Noger, David Parke, Patti Parsons, Brandon Reese, Barbara Rogers, Henry Leo Schoebel, Werner Segarra, Hunt Slonem, Michelle Stuhl, Mark Vinci and Howard Werner.