Last Friday, HOWL Gallery and tattoo celebrated his last opening reception at their current location on Broadway Street in the Fort Myers River District. Andy Howl, whose resilience has proven vital to his business and monthly events he created or co-founded, seemed pleased and hopeful about their new location. ‘We are getting a larger space, right across from the Edison Mall and we are ready.’ – said Howl referring to the new space located on 4164 Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers.
Traveling back to August of 2008, Andy Howl and his wife Alainna along with several other gallery, retail shop owners and organization representatives met in the late Casa Del Arte on Hough Street to discuss the possibility of a monthly event that would bring more people to our downtown area. Then, Andy’s gallery and tattoo shop was merely a project en route without a finalized lease space or an official opening day. This Examiner had the pleasure of being present at this meeting as the owner of daas Gallery, which had opened just a month earlier a couple of doors down from HOWL Gallery’s soon-to-be former location.
An hour into the meeting, the now famous Fort Myers Art Walk event was almost a concrete plan. The two-legged pair of artful frames represented in the logo; which Howl designed, event concept, grand opening date and even the monthly button were all consequences from that one meeting. As the group grew closer together, more and more ideas came to light solidifying the event and revolutionizing the area as it had been many years since downtown Fort Myers had such a successful monthly event.
Many businesses thrived in the new atmosphere that the Fort Myers Art Walk brought. Less than a year later, HOWL Gallery and Tattoo finally opened its doors at 1514 Broadway Street, right next to the downtown Starbucks. Not long after, it would be Howl who would call a meeting with restaurant, bars, galleries and retail shop owners to create the Fort Myers Music Walk event.
This Examiner briefly spoke to the legendary Terry Tincher; former owner of Space 39 Art Gallery which has now turned into a bar & lounge with the occasional art show, and he seems to share my feelings about the effect that HOWL Gallery and Tattoo’s closing will have on The Fort Myers Art & Music Walks. ‘We were ahead of our times’ - said the veteran collector who during Space 39’s prime time brought Marilyn Manson’s controversial exhibition to his space which created some much needed chaos in the area. ‘The city has given grants to these restaurants and forgotten about the ones who brought the people to downtown in the first place’ – adds Tincher referring to a band of themed restaurants that have recently opened in downtown.
Some of my colleagues have noticed and made mention of smaller crowds during the walks, especially Art Walk nights. Since the successful inaugural night on Friday, October 3rd, 2008, many galleries and shops have closed, giving up against rental increases and declines in sales. The Casa Del Arte, birthplace of the Fort Myers Art Walk, closed not long after the event’s inception.
Howl and his wife seemed focused on the move and hopeful for a bright future in their business. We share their enthusiasm and cannot wait to see what’s in store for this extraordinary hybrid tattoo shop. The Fort Myers Art Walk and Music Walk events will have to do without HOWL Gallery and Tattoo and Andy Howl’s chair and co-chair participation. He will stay somewhat linked to the downtown and city projects through his River District Alliance (RDA) involvements.
Comments