Galeria Pontes: A scenario fot Brazilian Art

When deciding to implement an art Gallery on a quiet Higienópolis street, art collector and researcher Edna Matosinho de Pontes faced some objections. Would it not be better business were the Gallery at some other more commercial spot ? However, there were some good reasons for her preferring Higienópolis: it is her neighborhood, where she has been living almost thirty years, just like the majority of her friends, and she had intended, ever since the very beginning, to turn the Gallery into an encounter point for the inhabitants of Higienópolis. Set up inside a large beautiful manor, Galeria Pontes, located at Rua Minas Gerais 80, is dedicated to divulge and sell the best of current Brazilian popular art production. It is a space that surprises and delights whoever passes by. In it one can find frames, drawings and sculptures on several materials, such as wood, terracotta, stone and iron. Pieces made with a lot of talent and authenticity that reveal the pride of Brazilian identity. Fábio Magalhães, important museologist and art critic says in the text referring to the opening exhibit Sunny Outlook… “The international modern art movement tracked down the source of popular creativity. In Brazil, modernist artists like Tarsila do Amaral, Di Cavalcanti, Cícero Dias and so many others assimilated values from popular aesthetics, in order to renew the artistic language of their time.”

The works are carefully panned within the main art creation centers of popular Brazilian art. Works made in the Mato Grosso Pantanal, in the Jequitinhonha Valley, in the northeastern hinterland and other regions. Still in the words of Magalhães “Galeria Pontes shows a scenario of the Brazilian soul and presents a country dreamt of by its people, with exuberance, an air of mystery and sensuality”.

As time went by, the Gallery widened its scope, without renouncing to its basic art-dealing function. Besides setting up exhibits, it organizes debates and lectures on important themes pertaining to cultural issues. It has programmed for this year a free monthly cycle of lectures and debates having Brazilian Cultural Identity as a theme, on the last Tuesday of every month.

Inside the garden of the house, one of the nicest and most agreeable places of the Gallery was created. Surrounded by flowers, trees and works of art, there is a Café that opens from 2 to 8 P.M., where they serve, besides a delectable coffee made with freshly ground seeds, several kinds of tea with different flavors and origins, exquisite juices and mouth-watering sandwiches. The highlight is the unforgettable “Cabeça de Negro” cake, a recipe brought by Manoela Pontes, the owner’s mother-in-law, filled and covered with a sauce of made with Brazil nuts and black plums. Fulfilling its mission as a cultural center in the neighborhood, the Gallery also offers a book store and a library for consultation, specialized in popular art.

Location: Galeria Pontes
R. Minas Gerais, 80 – Higienópolis
Telephone: (11) 3129-4218
Site: www.galeriapontes.com.br
E-mail: galeria@galeriapontes.com.br
Time: Monday through Friday, 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. / Saturday, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M.

Parking and access for wheelchair users.