It is an off-beat anniversary, for a gallery that is always done it its own way. The 100 Market Gallery is celebrating its 18th year as the sole patron-sponsored, artist-direct gallery on the Seacoast, if not the State, with “Legends”.

The 100 Market Gallery’s initial exhibits were invitational, before a juried process was established. “Legends” features a collection of those earliest artists, each regionally renowned in their field.

Michael Simchik had few stipulations when establishing the 100 Market Gallery, with the help of area artists. The work had to be quality, and the focus would be on lesser-seen works and artists. As all of the 100 Market Gallery’s sales go directly through individual artists, with no commission or fees, it is able to exhibit the less commercial, unordinary and experimental works.

“There were enough galleries in Portsmouth catering to time-honored work; few offered the nontraditional. We were filling a need, and giving ourselves, and the community an opportunity to enjoy this rich range of work, and the opportunity to purchase it directly from the artist. We do, of course, offer works that might be considered traditional, but our focus is elsewhere,” Simchik says. “From the start we’ve had the best the region has to offer. There was and is the mature artist, and the emerging.”

The gallery has given opportunity to many first-time exhibitors that are now showing their work throughout the region, nationally and internationally.

“This gallery has brought so much joy to those in the building, the exhibiting artist, and the community that comes to view and purchase the ever-changing, always inspiring work,” Simchik says. “’Legends’ is a celebration of 18 years of a win-win-win situation, and a toast to the many yet to come.”

Featured Artists

• John Angelopolis
• Mary Hop Brandon
• Flynn Donovan
• Adeline Goldminc-Trunso
• Christopher Gowell
• Lisa Grey
• Patricia Kaufman
• Dustin Knight
• Paul Pollaro
• Wendy Turner
• Pamela Dulong Williams