Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

fine art
Global Art
Art Highlands Gallery offers diverse works sure to please art enthusiasts
By JUDY ROYAL » Photos by CHELSEA CRONKRITE
BEATA GOLA AND DR. STEVE
Hinkey spent a year traveling
42,000 miles in a camper
visiting 1,000 art galleries and
museums before ultimately
picking the plateau as their place to settle.
The couple’s journey—and trailer full of
art collected along the way—served as
inspiration for their new gallery.
Art Highlands Gallery, formerly Invocative
Fine Art, opened in November at 521
N. 4th St. in Highlands and will have a
grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony
with the Highlands Chamber of Commerce
on June 16 from 10 a.m. to noon. The
gallery is currently showcasing 20 artists
and adding new artists weekly.
“Art is about transformation—all kinds,”
Hinkey said. “It can awaken us, enliven us,
endear us, support us, challenge us and
enrich us. We specialize in fresh, inspirational,
deeply moving art.”
“Take Harry Moody’s art, for example,”
Gola said. “One of the greatest living abstract
painters, easy to walk by, stunning
once it grabs you. A man commented, ‘I
learned more about abstract art—who,
what, why and how to experience it—in 15
minutes with you than I had in 40 years
collecting art. I went from I don’t get it
to full-on appreciation.’ Our creators are
revolutionary, produce really fun stuff and
make you glad you collect art.”
Florencia Clement de Grandprey stands
in front of a carpet—Navajo, Persian,
etc.—until a face appears, then takes five
weeks revealing it with paint over the rug
design. People love her work, Gola said.
Michael Hayden, an encaustic artist, is
at Art Highlands June 1-4. “You simply
must come get the full experience,” Gola
said. “He’s delightful, and you’ll become
forever alert to encaustic wax technique.”
Always on the hunt for new artists, Art
Highlands welcomes solicitation. There is
modern, contemporary, representational,
still life, landscape, plein air, sculpture
and collage.
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