DEL NORTE – Hidden among the many businesses lining Grande Avenue, a new gallery of fine art has opened its doors and is welcoming people to experience the colorful, excentric life of Joan “Blake” Higgins-Cellura captured in mixed media with a talented hand.
The gallery, 728 Grande Ave., is a sight to behold with the front room lined with memories and cherished treasures collected throughout Higgins-Cellura’s life. Everything she held dear lines the shelves from Shirley Temple porcelain dolls to a wide collection of Robert Raikes Bears, the shop is a welcoming array into the life of a prolific artist.
“My mom was a presence. She turned heads when she walked into a room and loved every minute of it. It was who she was that drew people to her,” said daughter KimAnna Cellura-Shields. “She has been an artist her entire life. Everything here was a part of her life.”
With the help of several family members and friends, Higgins-Cellura’s life was packed up from her home in Tucson, Ariz., and brought to its new home in Del Norte.
“We couldn’t have gotten this done without all of our family and friends. My mom was so worried about what was going to happen with her belongings, so we were able to surprise her by opening this gallery. It has been cathartic for all of us to go through this process,” said Cellura-Shields.
At the beautiful age of 85, Higgins-Cellura was diagnosed with the early stages of dementia and though she is dealing with some memory loss, she was beyond elated and excited to find a home away from home once she knew the gallery housed her most precious possessions.
According to Higgins-Cellura’s bio, she was born in Long Island, N.Y., and has been painting since she was able to hold a brush in her hand. Higgins-Cellura began showing her artwork at an early age and over the years her pieces won several prestigious awards.
In 1955, Higgins-Cellura married and moved to Rochester, N.Y., where she pursued a career in graphic art and worked for many years as a designer, illustrator, art director and ads manager, for companies like the infamous Lisa Frank.
Walking through the gallery is like stepping through time as patrons wander through the different phases of Higgins-Cellura’s life. From becoming a doting parent, to her love of fashion, Higgins-Cellura dabbled in every form of media art has to offer. Some of her most intricate work was done with marker, watercolor, paint, and pencil.
One thing that is most notable in her artwork is how Higgins-Cellura captures portraits, specifically the eyes. Human emotion is one of the hardest things to recreate, but Higgins-Cellura could create an emotion just by painting a person’s eyes.
“My mother said she always started with the eyes when she would do portraits. They were the windows to the soul,” Cellura-Shields said.
“Her imagination never stopped. She had a wealth of ideas, and she loved the bazaar, strange and beautiful. She was a fan of horror movies and everything that caught someone’s attention,” said her daughter Donna Hoefer.
The gallery will be open by appointment for the time being until a regular artist’s schedule can be set. Appointments can be made by calling 719-588-1892.
