New art gallery to open

SANDUSKY — A new art gallery will soon open in downtown Sandusky. The Maksla, pronounced "mocks-luh," gallery is located at 103 W. Market St. next to JaxBar. It will open its first show next month according to a social media post. Maksla is the Latvian word for "art." One of the gallery's principals, Erik Anderson, is of Latvian descent. The gallery's logo resembles a Latvian flag with three horizontal stripes. The top and bottom stripes are carmine red. The middle stripe is white. Anderson and Amy Heflinger signed a six-month lease for the gallery. They will produce four shows of about five weeks each: • The first show opens to the public on Friday, June 10. • The final show will showcase Anderson's works. • One of the other two shows will have a theme of small works. The largest works in the exhibition will be 8 inches by 8 inches. • A theme for the remaining show has not been determined. Anderson's affinity for art Anderson has owned and operated Erik's Clothing for Men for nearly 15 years. This will be his first solo show. He previously displayed his work at Carrington Arts, the former Sandusky gallery closing in late 2021; the Huron Public Library and the Sandusky Cultural Center at Sandusky High School. His downtown Sandusky shop also features many of his works. Anderson grew up in Vermilion and graduated from Vermilion High School in 1971. He then attended college at Bowling Green State University where, in 1976, he obtained a fine arts degree. He said that early in his career his art tended toward impressionism, an art style that strives to accurately portray light and its effect on the subject. As he has matured, his style has trended toward painterliness. This style features visible brushstrokes in the final work. "I don't want all of my art to look the same," said Anderson, adding that he strives for a certain level of realism and detail in his work. He often paints landscapes of familiar locations, such as Washington Park, the prisoners of war cemetery on Johnson's Island and the Marblehead Lighthouse. His work can be described as Fauvist, an art movement that arose after impressionism in the early 20th century. Anderson also creates paintings of people. Two large works titled "The Latvians" hang on a wall inside his clothing shop. The people are based on his family members. The painting honors his Latvian ancestry. Painting has always been a passion for Anderson, but the last four years have seen a big uptick in his output. He said as he has gotten older, life's responsibilities have ebbed, giving him the opportunity to spend more time developing his art. He said the gallery will have an invitation-only grand opening on Thursday, June 9. Maksla opens to the public on Friday, June 10.