For New Gallery, Proof Is in the Artist

Artist’s Proof, a gallery with a unique compilation of artists and styles, opened Oct. 19 in Cady’s Alley.

The gallery is dedicated mostly to contemporary art, but it really does not cater to a particular style. Instead, its main focus is the stories shared by the artists.

Gallery owner Peggy Sparks, who knows each artist personally, places the utmost emphasis on the stories behind the works. She will lead gallery guests through the space, passionately explaining the personal journey of each artist. ”It’s not just art on white walls,” says Sparks. ”It’s a conversation.”

The pieces within Artist’s Proof range from geometric to chaotic and black and white to explosively colorful. There are two-dimensional works on canvas and three-dimensional wooden and bronze pieces. The place currently carries works by a variety of international artists, including Jean-Francois Debongnie, Hunter Hogan, and Fred BergerCardi.

Before settling in Washington, D.C., a year ago, Sparks took time to visit the major art cities of the United States, spending extra time in Boulder, Colo. She’s worked internationally in cities such as Shanghai, Dubai, and her homeland of Singapore.

Sparks has worked in the art world for the past ten years. She didn’t expect to end in this industry, having originally studied linguistics. But when she took a job in an art gallery upon graduating college, she ”starting falling in love with the works.”

Since her move to Washington, D.C., Sparks has worked on the gallery opening.

”This is the fastest I could get it open,” she says, adding that she is concerned more about the guest’s in-gallery experience, rather than the amount of pieces a guest ends up purchasing. Her first and most important goal, she says, is for ”people to leave the gallery with their hearts filled.”

Sparks plans to hold an event on Dec. 8, she says, tentatively called ”Lazy Sunday.” Mosey on over to Artist’s Proof, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., that day, for art appreciation and adult beverages.