About Us
The Sun Won’t Set on Sunset Center
By Marsha Clements
The joy of an indoor shopping mall first came to Amarillo with the grand opening of Sunset Center when I was a preteen—I guess we call them “tweens” now. I have fond memories of shopping at Sunset Center. No longer did we have to go downtown and search for a parking place and walk from one end of Polk Street to the other from store to store. You could go inside and shop until you dropped and never leave the comfort of the mall. Sunset was the place to see and be seen for all of us preteens. One of our moms would drop us off at the mall and my friends and I loved going there and hanging out–shopping at Daisy’s, The Hub, Penney’s, The Hollywood and Woolworth’s. It was great fun! So Sunset Center holds a spot near to my heart.
Over the years, shopping centers have come and gone. A mall takes the place of a main street and a new mall takes the place of an older one. But I’m here to tell you that the sun is not setting on Sunset Center. On the contrary, the sun is rising to a new purpose, a new season at Sunset Center.
The Sunset Art Gallery of Amarillo is now the flagship of The Galleries at Sunset Center along with Panhandle Art Center (PAC) and Amarillo Art Institute (AAI). When you enter Sunset Center from the east, you are welcomed by a beautiful sculpture garden complete with koi ponds. Two beautiful galleries that display works from a variety of local artists, as well as noted artists from Taos, Denver, and other areas of the country greet you at the east entrances. Entering under the stained glass sunset, you are engulfed in a tranquil setting under the Panhandle sky as skylights brighten your stroll. Approximately 50 galleries line both sides of the mall and the outside studios encompass almost all of the mall. What a way to spend your day—relaxing, enjoying the art, and shopping the climate controlled mall that holds beautiful works from over 100 artists.
Where else could you do that? Even Santa Fe and Carmel are not climate controlled! I love to go to Santa Fe and Taos and enjoy the galleries, but this is right here and I can go just about any day. I’m an artist and I couldn’t have found a more enjoyable place. I love to stroll through art galleries and visit with artists about their work. It inspires me to paint something new, just be creative. So finding a beautiful row of galleries right here in Amarillo has been a treat—and to think it is right there in my old hang out.
Panhandle Art Center is an artist cooperative. Artists rent a wall to display their works each quarter of the year. You can see the work of many local artists. Everything from jewelry to photography, all mediums of painting and sculpture, abstract to realistic—are in one location. The Amarillo Art Institute is a nonprofit organization sponsoring art classes for all ages in all kinds of media. The Galleries at Sunset fill the inside of the mall with a variety of art.
I know people wonder how this old shopping mall was given a new life. In every city in the country, there are old malls that are dying. But in the case of Sunset Center Mall, the owner had a vision and she has worked to see it come to fruition.
About two years ago, Ann Crouch, the owner of Sunset Center and a talented artist in her own right decided to take her mall and create something that most artists would love to have in their home towns. She wanted to give the artists of Amarillo and the region surrounding us–a place to study, create, and sell their art. Panhandle Art Center and Amarillo Art Institute were already in operation at Sunset Center, so studio/gallery space for local artists was just a natural fit for the mall.
Ann‘s passion for art and creative artists, along with her generosity, has created an artist colony within the walls of a beautifully renovated shopping mall. She worked with artists to find spaces where they can work and show their art. The Texas Panhandle is blessed with many fine artists in every medium. Ann found spaces for young contemporary artists and many of the older established artists have moved their studios or opened new ones in Sunset Center.
I heard about Ann’s dream and how she wanted to create a place for artists to work together. In my heart, I knew that someday, I would have a studio there and I was excited about the possibility. This summer, one of my dreams came true when I moved into Sunset Center to share studio sentosa with two painting friends. Elizabeth Nussbaum and Maynon Benson have painted with me in class for over 20 years. Now we share studio and gallery space 109 on the east wing of Sunset Center. “Sentosa” is a Malay word for serenity or tranquility. It is a place where we can escape the hustle and bustle of our lives and enjoy painting. Although we are three very different women, we have so much in common in our artwork.
The artists of The Galleries in Sunset Center have each taken their spaces and decorated them to fit their personalities and needs. Ann has made the studio/galleries affordable to even the starving artist. Everywhere you look, artists are collaborating and working together. It’s a place where watching paint dry is just fun!
It is a joy to work in such a happy place and this is probably the most important aspect of the center. The artists at Sunset Center encompass a wide variety of age and experience and do every kind of art imaginable. There is something for everyone, everything from abstract to traditional, a cross section of the arts. Although the artists are a conglomerate of independents, we are a community. We talk to each other, critique each others’ work and share ideas. If there is any creative essence running in your veins, it will have a chance to grow in the garden of artists at Sunset Center. When you create in a group, there is an energy that is exchanged through the interaction of the artists. We invite everyone in to learn in our workshops, to enjoy our art, to share their opinions, to have a meeting or event in our beautiful banquet hall, to borrow a book at the institute library, or to just walk in our beautiful mall.
Art educators from all over the country have workshops scheduled at AAI and local artists teach classes for beginners and advanced artists. A fully equipped clay lab is available for sculpting and pottery. Artistic ability knows no age and children’s classes are offered during the summer and throughout the school year. Children bring energy and enthusiasm into the art center and we believe in the right to experience the joy of art. Amarillo Art Institute offers scholarships for students whose parents are unable to provide art lessons. Sunset Center and AAI have become a hub for the art community of our region serving artists from the Texas panhandle, New Mexico, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
Sunset Center is also a place for the artists to market their art. We hope that as the public visits the studios and galleries, they will find a place to go to purchase fine works of art–that “just right” painting to go over your fireplace, or to find that perfect unique gift for someone special. You can find a one of a kind gift for just about any occasion and at a just about any price. When you give the gift of art, it keeps on giving. At Sunset Center, you meet the artists, ask questions, watch them work, and develop relationships. It makes your purchase mean more than ever when you have seen the artist at work. Most of the artists will do commissioned works to fit their customers’ special needs and wants. Even the most discerning art collector will find that Sunset Center is a haven for the collector, as well as the artist.
Special events and art shows by various artists are planned throughout the year. The Society of Master Impressionists and was hosted a couple of summers ago by The Sunset Art Gallery. Over one hundred pieces were juried into the show from all over the world. Lonestar Pastel Society has been the host the national pastel show in Panhandle Art Center. Ramon Kelley was the judge for the show and he has conducted several workshops at AAI. A variety of shows are held throughout the year. August Lights has been revived. An annual celebration of the arts is now held on the second weekend in August at The Galleries in Sunset Center. Regional artists from Taos, Santa Fe, and Colorado join our local and Panhandle artists to demonstrate their art and display their works for sale. August Lights continues to be a huge success and plans are underway to make it even bigger next year.
Although Amarillo Art Institute, Panhandle Art Center and the Sunset Gallery keep regular hours, some of the artists cannot be available every day. If you want to visit when most of the galleries are open, watch the paper for special events or the first Friday of each month for our First Friday Art Walk. In studio sentosa, we say our hours are by chance or appointment. Give us a call at 676-1733 to make sure someone is there. We have a Holiday Market each year when artists create items that are specially priced for gift giving. Let the artists at Sunset help you do your Christmas shopping and other special occasions throughout the year. If you want a commission, remember to set that up early. Works of art don’t happen overnight. Watch the Get Out Calendar and join the mailing list and RSS feed to be notified of special events at Sunset.
Sunset Center began as a place for people to come and shop. My friends and I loved to go and just hang out. It is still drawing people in, but for a different reason. It is still a place to see and be seen, a great place for enjoying local art and starting your collection of originals. But the now visitors will find a community of artists that bring their art and their hearts to share with everyone that comes in their doors. One of a kind, handmade works of art can be found throughout the center. Artists across the country are envious of the energy being created inside the walls of this beautiful, old shopping mall. The artists are a humanity of creativity. Sunset Center is a gift to the people of Amarillo and its artists. It has given me and everyone in our community a place to come together to grow and learn, create and just have a ball hanging out. I hope you will come out soon, enjoy the art, and see the sun rising over Sunset Center.
