ARLINGTON, Texas— Sunlight filters through windows onto canvases arranged inside a converted house at 1038 W. Abram St. The faint tang of paint lingers in the air, mingling with the soft shuffles of footsteps across creaking hardwood floors. Evey wall comes alive with color.
The Upstairs Gallery opened in 1968, when founder Eleanor Martin outgrew the family’s den, which had become crowded with the work of her Saturday painting group. She moved into an empty space above a recording studio on Center Street.
Within a year, the city announced redevelopment plans that forced the gallery to relocate. Eleanor and her husband, James Martin, purchased a small house on Abram Street that has housed the gallery ever since.
For decades, Eleanor Martin taught classes, hosted shows and encouraged new artists. After her death in 2006, her son J.T. Martin stepped in to carry on the family tradition. He now manages the day-to-day operations, curates exhibitions and teaches classes.
“We represent mostly artists from the area,” Martin said.
Muted landscapes, bright impressionist scenes
Martin moved through rooms filled with selections from two solo shows. Arlington artist Charlie Kennedy’s muted landscapes hung alongside Judy Gelford’s bright impressionist scenes. A handful of other artists fill the smaller display spaces, representing both long-term professionals and emerging painters.
“We sold quite a number of paintings for both of those artists,” Martin said. “It was a good show.”
The gallery’s mission of displaying local art and teaching has endured since the early 1970s. After buying a second house next door, the Martins began offering regular classes in drawing and painting, with a focus on watercolor. That tradition continues today, with classes Monday through Thursday.
“It means a lot to talented amateurs who come here,” Martin said. “We try to create a place that’s welcoming, where people can make and learn.”
That sense of welcome is reflected in the gallery’s rhythm. Open Tuesdays through Saturdays, the space is filled with students, casual visitors and collectors browsing the latest shows.
For local artists, the gallery has provided exposure and encouragement for decades. The late Stephen Roscoe, who taught painting at the University of Texas at Arlington, became one of its early anchors. His work still draws interest, and the gallery continues to show pieces from his estate. Other Arlington-based artists such as Kennedy and Gelford have found an audience through The Upstairs Gallery’s exhibitions.
Rooted in community
Martin pointed toward one of Gelford’s recent paintings, pausing in front of a canvas washed in shifting tones.
“Something about the colors is really satisfying and beautiful to me,” Martin said.
The Upstairs Gallery has endured while many other independent spaces in Arlington have closed. For Martin, its longevity is rooted in more than survival.
“It’s just been in my family so long,” he said. “I feel rooted, we have a lot of social capital and it’s rewarding to be part of a community.”
Martin paused again before another canvas, a landscape scene from Kennedy’s recent show.
“I suggested we call this ‘Morse code,’” Martin said. “It’s like the artist is staring at this landscape with lots of emptiness and it sort of raises the question of what’s it mean, all this? The world of nature, it’s mysterious.”
The gallery continues to adapt, balancing tradition with fresh voices. Rotating shows, spotlighting lesser-known artists alongside established names. Classes continue to fill with beginners and experienced painters alike, carrying forward Eleanor Martin’s philosophy that artists learn better together.