About Gateway City Arts
GATEWAY CITY ARTS IS A VENUE FOR EVENTS, ENTERTAINMENT, DINING, ART-MAKING, TEACHING AND LEARNING
Our primary mission is to build and strengthen community, culture and the arts by providing professional space and infrastructure to do so.
Since we first opened our doors in 2012, we’ve expanded, evolved, and repurposed our space and we would never have been able to get this far without you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Lori Divine (Co-Director) and Vitek Kruta (Co-Director)
LORI DIVINE (CO-DIRECTOR)
Lori came to art later in life after a career as a Physical Therapist, with a Masters Degree in Education. Her science background gave little entry into the visual wonder around her. Her first painting classes started her on the journey of “seeing” the world differently. That has continued through the years. Lori has explored painting with pastels, oils, and now works primarily in acrylics. She is also drawn to photography, sculpture and most currently, welding. Lori loves the 3-dimensional aspect of objects- especially overlapping forms, how they interact and how the light and shadows are affected. She is drawn to different aspects of color and loves movement in objects. The love of the 3dimensional comes from her first passion, buildings/houses and the use of space within them. This has been a lifelong interest that she has pursued in differing degrees and ways.
Aside from actually making art, Lori was on the Board of Directors of the Guild Studio School in Northampton, MA and Easthampton, MA. For the last few years she have been serving on the Board of Directors of Snow Farm: NE Craft School. Lori is moved by the idea and ability to provide a place to both introduce people to new areas of art and make it possible to expand ones ability to pursue it.
Gateway City Arts combines many of Lori’s passions and interests in one place and she is thrilled to be a co-founder of this exciting adventure.
VITEK KRUTA (CO-DIRECTOR)
Vitek is a professional artist, art restorer, set designer and teacher. He was trained in the Old World techniques of Fine and Decorative Arts in the Czech Republic and Germany, where he attended school and apprenticed. After his education, he worked in the restoration field, restoring castles and churches, before coming to the United States in 1991. Since then Vitek has worked as a freelance artist and gallery owner. Currently he also owns his own restoration company, VK Restoration, and consults for various art education organizations, architects and historical societies.
Gateway City Arts is a culmination of Vitek’s experience, skills, passion and dedication to art. Gateway City Arts is designed as a platform to support variety of art disciplines. It creates plethora of opportunities for artists of all kinds to develop, practice, interact and showcase their talents and allow them to pursue a professional career in the arts.