Holding its official grand opening in September of 2003, Icon Modern Art Gallery is the latest addition to Pensacola’s thriving arts scene. Standing different from its peers, Icon is the only for-profit art gallery in the area. This key difference allows Icon to go all-in on promoting both local and regional artists who submit their work to the exhibition.
Icon Modern Art Gallery is located in the heart of the Seville Historic District at 213 S. Alcaniz St. in downtown Pensacola. Avian Noble, the founder of Icon, was inspired by art galleries she saw on her travels around the world and was determined to establish a gallery that could rival those she saw.
“Ever since I bought a historic home in downtown Pensacola, I knew I wanted to be involved in the arts but saw the lack of drive to represent the artists at the non-profit galleries. As owner and founder, my passion is to help artists to be productive and for clients to find the right piece of art for their budget, space and style. Immediately, our staff naturally gravitated toward finding homes for these beautiful pieces of artwork everywhere from a hotel in New Orleans to a penthouse in New York. We truly work hard to find a home for each piece of art,” Noble explained.
One of Icon’s main goals is to create a better place for artists to sell their work and garner exposure. Each month, the gallery allows artists to submit their work for $25. This fee goes toward the prize money for the winner. In addition to supporting the contests, Icon only receives a 25 percent commission with the rest going directly to the artist.
A contest theme and solo artist exhibit are held at the gallery each month, where any artist can submit to be featured as the monthly spotlight. If selected, they will have the option to rent out a room for a month to showcase pieces of their work.
“Each event is made to encourage artists to push themselves and gives our staff a chance to creative out-of-the-box receptions each and every time,” Noble said.
A reception is also held to celebrate each month’s theme, which is also hosted at the gallery and includes food, drinks and live music. Winning artists also receive recognition and are awarded prize money at the monthly receptions.
The next theme Icon Modern Art Gallery will be hosting is Pop Art. Interested artists are invited to drop off their work between April 6 and 7 to take part in the Pop Art exhibition. The exhibition will run publicly from April 11 through April 28. A reception to celebrate the opening of the exhibit will be held on April 12 from 6 to 9 pm.
Pop Art began as a British art movement, which crossed over to America in the 1950s and 1960s. Pop Art was inspired by the television, comics and advertisements of the time, which created a unique and appealing aesthetic. The goal of the Icon Modern Art Gallery is to create a unique and modern spin on the theme of Pop Art.
The theme for May will be Under Pressure. This theme honors the fact that May is mental health awareness month, which aims to take back the title of tortured artist. The exhibit’s goal is to showcase the many sides of mental health including misunderstandings, pain and recovery.
Pieces will be accepted for the upcoming Under Pressure is accepting pieces on May 4 and May 5. The exhibit will run from May 9 to May 31. Under Pressure will also feature an opening night reception on May 10.
Icon may be new to the Pensacola art scene, but in its short time, it has surely justified its existence by creating a unique art gallery that exists to support artists. Icon has the potential to cement itself as a local gallery that’s definitely worth the visit.
Learn more about Icon and view their calendar of upcoming shows at iconmodernartgallery.com, or check out @iconmodernartgallery on Instagram.