East County church unveils its outdoor art gallery

Heavy rain and the aftermath of a hurricane were not going to stop the unveiling of a new art collection on the Peaceful Path at Peace Presbyterian Church. 

Church members spent Sept. 26 after Hurricane Helene picking up fallen branches along the 0.4-mile path to prepare for the gallery's grand opening Sept. 27. 

“The path is an ongoing work of creating and cleaning,” church member Toni Muirhead said. “There’s art all through the path from glass beads and ceramics to natural stuff.”

Despite the rain, about 20 people gathered under the trees on Sept. 28 to celebrate the opening of “The Gallery on the Peaceful Path.”

In May, “Artists on the Path” featured work from local artists for a day, but The Gallery on the Peaceful Path is a permanent installation. 

Most of the 11 artists who contributed to the collection live in Manatee County, but there are three other artists from Sarasota, Maine and Arizona. 

The collection suits its wooded environment with a theme of nature and wildlife. The work is a mix of paintings and photography.

To ensure the gallery is permanent, the artwork was transferred onto aluminum plates that attach to steel stands. There are five stands, and each stand holds two pieces of art. 

A separate installation called “The Three Sisters” by Cindy Patterson was also added to the gallery. It's a trio of flowers made from tin cans. 

Patterson lives in Casa Grande, Arizona. She's never walked the Peaceful Path. She donated the flowers after seeing a photo of the path.

Church member Jamie Reagan said the steel stands that hold the rest of the artwork are heavy and durable enough to withstand the elements and stay in place, but each piece of art can be removed. 

“These will be up for at least a year and then we’ll rotate our art and have another selection,” she told the crowd. “Come by when it’s sunny and enjoy it some more.”