AlexArt International Art Gallery Celebrates Eleven Years in Sarasota

AlexArt International Art Gallery Celebrates Eleven Years in Sarasota

Sarasota's vibrant arts scene marks a significant milestone this month as AlexArt International Art Gallery celebrates 11 years of artistic activity, creativity, and growth. Founded in 2015 by the Italian Dal Boni family, the gallery has become a prominent destination for art collectors and enthusiasts in Florida, located in the historic downtown space that once housed the Golden Apple Dinner Theater.

The gallery is named after Alexa Scanziani, a Harvard graduate and former New York Times international reporter, who is also the wife of artist Fabio Dal Boni. The couple chose Sarasota for their gallery due to its reputation as one of the top small cities for art in the United States, with its location next to the Sarasota Opera House proving ideal for the community's cultural sophistication.

The Dal Boni family initially moved from Milan, Italy, to the United States on an O-1 visa, granted to individuals with extraordinary ability. The gallery officially opened its doors on May 21, 2016, with an exclusive exhibition featuring Italian master Massimo Meda. His monumental three-dimensional paintings, which glow under black light, captivated American collectors during the grand opening. Following a two-year agreement for Meda's solo exhibition, AlexArt International began introducing other nationally and internationally acclaimed artists.

During this period, Fabio Dal Boni embarked on his own artistic journey. After experiencing a Near-Death Experience in December 2015, he sought to recreate the extraordinary colors he had witnessed. By 2017, he developed a unique technique using special inks and treating aluminum at high temperatures to create vibrant, luminous landscapes inspired by Sarasota's coastal beauty and his travels. His work, a fusion of contemporary pop sensibility and hyperrealistic detail, quickly gained popularity among collectors.

Dal Boni's success led to invitations to present his architectural works at prestigious events, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York in November 2017, Miami Art Basel, Art Santa Fe, ArtExpo New York, and Architecture of Time in Boston. Through their participation in these art fairs, Fabio and Alexa discovered and began representing American artists like Bill Stone, known for his vibrant abstract oil paintings, and Sharon Grimes, with her metaphysical mixed-media works.

Over the years, the AlexArt International family has expanded to include a diverse group of artists. This includes Italian landscape and portrait painter Guido Borelli, his wife Danka Weitzen, cartoonist Paolo Passoni, fashion photographer Edoardo Montaina, acrylic painter Mauro Drudi, sculptor Carmelo Messina, Canadian photographer Andrea Hillebrand, American master watercolorist Michele Tabor Kimbrough, Turkish acrylic painter Lara Sabrina Yilmaz, and Venezuelan mixed-media artist Oriana Gerez. The gallery also hosts an annual exhibition dedicated to 18th-century Venetian painting.

In 2022, Fabio and Alexa Dal Boni became American citizens, marking another significant milestone. By 2023, Fabio Dal Boni had also established himself as the gallery’s artist-in-residence and gained recognition as a writer with his book, An Extra Life — 8 Minutes in Heaven with my Father. This moving account of his Near-Death Experience was also presented at the Heart of Gold Starlight Gala in Tampa.

Beyond its role as an art gallery, AlexArt International, with its distinctive five-step ceilings, majestic arched windows, and sculpted features, has evolved into a vibrant cultural space in Sarasota's arts district. It has hosted poetry readings, book presentations, concerts, private dinners, weddings, charity events, and community gatherings.

To commemorate its 11-year journey, AlexArt International will host a series of free Live Painting Exhibitions featuring some of its outstanding artists. Details on these events will be announced by the gallery.