Evanston’s Tucker Gallery is brimming with surprises.
Owner Catherine Eberle’s artistic eye is wide-ranging: glasswork from North Carolina, paintings from as far as Spain and now a Local Artists Showcase.
Her dedication to featuring art that spans location and genre does a great service to the North Shore community, and it has helped Tucker Gallery establish itself in just 5 years as a go-to gallery and true Local Treasure.
Eberle honed her knack for selecting unique and marketable artists at the London auction house Sotheby’s, as well as at the Harrington Institute of Design in Chicago. She describes the task of choosing artists to showcase as a balancing act between technical assessment and intuition.
So what does Eberle’s eagle eye seek out in an artist’s portfolio?
“I look for that unique piece in an artist’s collection,” she says, “the one that is different from the others—a piece that really shows the artist stretching themselves.”
View such standout works during the 8 exhibitions Tucker Gallery hosts throughout the year. Tucker Gallery features only one Local Artists Showcase a year; the rest of the exhibitions are comprised of artists Eberle finds during her extensive travels.
Eberle’s work has taken her to many places, but she counts Spain as a particular standout.
“Spanish people are so lovely—and lovely to work with,” she says.
Eberle praises the Spanish art scene for its “high level of emphasis in balancing technique and creativity.” Trips to Barcelona, Madrid and San Sebastian have resulted in working relationships with many Spanish artists and Eberle is thrilled to give local art connoisseurs the chance to see works from these otherwise unknown artists. In addition, the international artists featured at her gallery have agreed to show exclusively with her—you really can’t see their work anywhere else (besides Spain, of course)!
A North Shore resident since 1989, Eberle is married with an 18-year-old daughter. Eberle’s daughter’s college plans are undecided, but she hopes to study art history, like her mother. In our opinion, she needn’t look far for an inspiring example of how to use exceptional talent to better the community.
Tucker Gallery is open Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1939 Central St., Evanston, 847-570-9825.
