“More Art is Better”

Shade & Shutter photography by Sarah Carleton. SHADE & SHUTTER / COURTESY PHOTOS

It’s five years on for Mark Carleton and Sarah Carleton’s Shade & Shutter gallery in Key West. The contemporary art space has featured owners Mark’s ceramics and Sarah’s photography at the White Street location.

The pair’s mantra, “more art is better,” guided their initial goals to expand the art market here and put a new focus on functional items. A strategy that they believe is paying off.

They also believe the market for pottery has expanded because Key West has become even more of an art destination. They say people enjoy taking a break from the usual attractions and spending some time looking at and buying art.

The couple is often aligned in their views. When asked whether their operation has been mostly interesting, challenging, or downright unpredictable, they both say all of the above!

They also say the experience has proved humbling, a nod to some of the times they have endured. The artists reflect on the roughly 50/50 survival rate for small businesses heading past a fifth year, the seasonal variations of a tourist town, and, of course, making it through the pandemic.

Shade & Shutter pottery by Mark Carleton.

Community support and shared knowledge helped keep their award-winning ceramics and imagery on display.

The artists say, “The gallery survived because we responded as best as we could and got lots of help.”

Friends, mentors, and businesses from within and outside the art world helped spread the word, carry products, and generate enough traffic to the storefront and online.

The Carletons also made strategic decisions about showcasing their complementary but differing mediums in the same place. This included maximizing square footage by combining the retail gallery with a pottery studio in the back and setting up a small photography backdrop with extra lighting for portraits. The two have even occasionally crossed over into each other’s creations.

They say combining so many disparate elements can be challenging, but they also believe it can be complementary. For example, Mark has glazed a silhouette of one of Sarah’s bird photos on his Key West mugs.

Sarah and Mark Carleton’s Shade & Shutter gallery in Key West celebrates 5 year anniversary.

The recently revitalized “Walk on White,” a monthly after-hours stroll with openings and entertainment, has also been a big plus. The couple, who has been extensively involved with promoting and participating in the event, recalled being happy if just a dozen or so people stopped by. Now, it’s many times that number.

“It helps a lot. Walk on White showcases the renewed vibrancy of the businesses on White Street. The event is bigger and better than ever, ” says Sarah.

The gathering now boasts over two dozen participating businesses. Funds are raised monthly for different local organizations, including The Key West High School Marching Band, the SOS Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.

The couple thinks Walk on White is helping to reacquaint more people with the district. While it’s still hard to get regular daily foot traffic, they hope we keep building on the momentum that Walk on White has started.

Shade & Shutter offers one-of-a-kind ceramics and photography.

Beyond White Street, the artists try to get extra exposure at local shows and galleries. Mark, for instance, has his ceramics at Salt Gallery and the Green Pineapple. Sarah’s photography has appeared at exhibits hosted by the Key West Art & Historical Society and the Florida Keys Council of the Arts.

The two are always looking to collaborate and expect that the island’s nature will keep allowing for new opportunities to work with other artists and discover more collectors along the way.

Both artists say one of the great things about Key West is they are always bumping into other artists, feeding off each other’s energy, and generating new ideas. They don’t know what the future will bring, but they predict a lot of great art will arise from collaborations. ¦

ShadeandShutterKeyWest.com
Shade & Shutter | 1102 White Street

The Shade & Shutter gallery is at 1102 White Street.

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