Owner is Chicago artist David Manola
Boulevard Fine Art of Chicago has opened Boulevard Fine Art & Custom Framing South at 110 Colonia Lane E. in Nokomis, in the space previously occupied by the Nokomis post office.
“I love this space,” said Boulevard Fine Art owner and Chicago artist David Manola in a news release.
Manola renovated the post office himself, the release adds. “There’s great outside space and a large side lot that we hope we can use for outdoor art shows once it’s safe to gather,” he said in the release.
Manola’s oldest son, Marco, graduated last year from the Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota with a degree in game art and design, the release continues. “The Manola family has deep ties to the Sarasota area because [David’s] grandmother lived in the city for years,” and his mother is a Sarasota resident, the release points out.
Boulevard Fine Art South has filled the former 5,000-square-foot post office “with an international collection of original art from well-known established artists and new artists,” the release says. The artwork ranges in style from traditional to contemporary, Manola noted in the release.
Manola, who attended the Art Institute of Chicago, has worked in years past at notable Chicago galleries, the release continues. He opened his first gallery in 1996 in Oak Park, Ill., the release says. The Nokomis gallery is his second, the release adds. He has hired local residents to work with him, including an experienced framer who owned a shop for several years, the release points out.
The new gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and by appointment at other times, the release says.