Gallery 31

About

Gallery 31 occupies a long, narrow room that curator Elise Fontaine transformed into rotating exhibitions of Iowa artists. Openings spill onto the sidewalk; First Fridays bring music and cheap wine in paper cups. Elise founded the gallery after years of watching local talent leave for bigger cities. She keeps a flat commission for emerging artists and a mentorship circle for teens. Elise still hangs shows late at night and still writes wall text that sounds like a conversation, not a catalog.