The Makeready Press Gallery Story
In 1992 expanding this art initiative Ms.O'Brien created Makeready Gallery in Montclair, New Jersey exhibiting the work of many artists. Montclair is a receptive place to begin an art initiative. A community 12 miles west of Manhattan, Montclair has a nationally recognized art museum, a broad spectrum of cultural activities in art, music and theater.
Makeready Gallery focuses on art, maps and expert custom framing. Makeready Gallery has presented over 35 exhibits of painting, printmaking, sculpture and fiber art and annually sponsored "Quilts for Art Sake", a national exhibit of fiber art through the medium of quilted materials. Fine art exhibits are on going. Makeready Gallery offers contemporary original poster art from Lincoln Center's List Art Collection as well as decorative posters and the "Mainstreet Photo Archive", a collection of vintage photos of 300 New Jersey towns and cities, New York City, New England and Europe.
The highest quality conservation framing is essential to any art environment. To compliment the gallery Ms.O'Brien became a certified picture framer through the Larson-Juhl School. With her extensive art education at the Art Students' League of New York, the Koho School of Sumi-e Painting and The Fashion Institute of Technology, Ms. O'Brien became an expert in artistically designed custom framing. In 2007 Ms. O'Brien won the national frame design competition at the National Framing Convention in Las Vegas sponsored by New York Graphics Society and Picture Framing Magazine. Museum quality conservation framing is our specialty.
Antique maps have become a passion at Makeready Gallery. Makeready Press, Inc. published full color reprints of 1890 plat maps of Montclair and Glen Ridge, NJ. All of these maps include property owners' names, with buildings and street addresses listed on each map. In addition Makeready Press, Inc. has gathered a huge collection of authentic antique maps from the heyday of rail travel that extensively detail 19th century locations in the North America and Europe that are great for researching family history.
Makeready Gallery continues to represent a selection of painters and printmakers today as well as offering quality artistic custom framing.