Serendipity

Submitted by Evelyn C. McDonald
Arts & Culture Reporter
August 12, 2015 1:00 a.m.

Serendipity is an interesting word. Merriam-Webster defines it as “luck that takes the form of finding pleasant things that are not looked for.” I like to define it as finding something interesting while you’re looking for something else. It happened this week. I was in downtown Fernandina Beach and opened the door to what I thought was a gallery I planned to visit. Instead of art works, I saw a set of stairs with each riser painted with a different motif.

Clearly not my intended destination. However, “in for a penny, in for a pound,” as they say. So I went up the stairs and found Gallery C, managed by artist Carol Winner. Gallery C has an eclectic combination of art – paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and whimsical objects. Winner’s studio is there as well so you can see some of her work-in-progress. With the exception of a small corner where another artist shows stained glass and other items, all of the art and whimsy were created by Winner.

Winner trained as an art teacher at Penn State and has been an artist for 30 years. She has been on the island for 12 years, moving 8 years ago from Blue Door into the Gallery C space. Her paintings are seascapes, flowers, marshes and other distinctly island subjects in acrylics and watercolors. In the whimsical category, there are wall hangings combining found elements such as old spice tins, children’s’ alphabet blocks, kitchen tools, and other objects. Decorative purses, tote bags, and note cards are also exhibited. Her jewelry features delicate combinations of gold-plate and silver wire with various types of semi-precious stones and beads.

Gallery C is located upstairs at 218-B Ash Street. There’s usually parking in front of City Hall or in the public lot next to the railroad tracks. At three rooms, the gallery is an easy place to browse and admire Winner’s creative spirit at work. Yes, some may find the stairs a bit daunting but the climb is worth it. And who knows, you might find the perfect gift (even for yourself, as I did). Serendipity – that’s what makes living on the island so interesting.

Winner’s website is carolwinnerart.com. The gallery has a Facebook presence at gallery c facebook.com.

Evelyn McDonald moved to Fernandina Beach from the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. in 2006. She is a chair of Arts & Culture Nassau, a city commission charged with support of the arts in Nassau County. She serves on FSCJ’s Curriculum Committee for the Center for Lifelong Learning. She is also the chair of the Dean’s Council for the Carpenter Library at the UNF. Ms. McDonald has MS in Technology Management from the University of Maryland’s University College and a BA in Spanish from the University of Michigan.