Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet and Gallery Sitka are teaming up to launch a new monthly event series called “2nd Fridays/All You Need is Art & Wine.” The kickoff event, a Valentine’s Day celebration, is set for Feb. 14 from 4:30-6 p.m.
This event also marks the grand opening of The Tasting Room, a new space right next to Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet’s main shop at 5 Merton Road in Newport.
Maria Chiancola, who’s owned Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet for 17 years, says the business has always centered around the mix of art, wine, and love.
“The intersection of art, wine, and love has always been at the core of Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet (NWC&G), ” says Chiancola. “I feel cooking, sharing a meal, and drinking wine in communion with our friends, family, and romantic partners is an expression of love. We invite people to experience this by joining us to sip an artisanal wine, languish in an iconic chair, and contemplate art – all the while nourishing the soul and feeding one’s hunger for beauty, sustenance, and love. And one of the best parts is that all this can all be brought into one’s own living space.”
The Tasting Room offers a curated selection of artisanal wines, specialty foods, and home decor, including some Mid-Century Modern pieces from LBD Designs.
Gallery Sitka® will have a permanent spot in The Tasting Room, featuring rotating exhibits of contemporary art and monthly opening receptions where you can meet the artists.
For the Valentine’s Day event, Gallery Sitka is showcasing artwork with bold reds by six artists: Marston Clough, Rux Darie, Barbara Groh, Kate Huntington, Kate Shaffer, and Kellie Weeks.
Tamar Russell Brown, owner of Gallery Sitka, points out that she and Maria share similar visions and goals, and both graduated from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.
“I’m excited about this collaboration. Maria and I have compatible visions and goals and we are both graduates of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program. We each work to support other small businesses and hope this will be a precursor to supporting each other in larger ways in the future,” says Brown. “Pairing art and decor is a natural fit. We hope to inspire Newporters and guests to enjoy gourmet fare and New England art geared to enrich lives.”
The event is free and open to everyone. All the art, furniture, wine, and food on display in The Tasting Room will be available for purchase.
