‘Paint the alley’: Galeria Ombligo’s second opening is part of a street art project

You could call it a pop-up gallery, to use the popular phrase describing special events restaurants. Open for only five days so far in 2015, Galeria Ombligo hosts its second opening tomorrow night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., show-casing a street art project outside its front door.

A street art design by Cuenca artist Ricky Nuñez at Galeria Ombligo.

The exhibit includes designs and mock-ups of art that will be painted on houses along Calle Coronel Talbot between Sucre and Presidente Cordova. Ombligo is partnering with the Cuenca arts collective La Komuna on the project.

According to Galeria Ombligo partner Al Jennings, the project is more than just designing and applying street art. “It’s also about meeting the neighbors on the street and getting to know their stories,” he says. Those personal histories, he says, will influence the final design.

Galeria Ombligo is a joint project of Jennings and Sally Lincoln, who uses the space when it’s not a galleryas an art studio. “We are an event-based gallery,” says Jennings. “We don’t plan to represent artists on an on-going basis or be full-time and only open for special occasions. Our idea is to promote the local talent, especially the talent that is under-represented.”

Lincoln divides her time between Cuenca and Pueblo, Colorado, where she helped establish a community artist’s gallery. Jennings has been a New York art dealer and teacher.

After Thursday’s opening, Ombligo will be open for the next two weekends, August 8 and 9, and 15 and 16. After that, it’s wait till the next special occasion.

Galeria Ombligo is located at 7-38 Coronel Talbot, around the corner from the Cuenca Museum of Modern art, between Sucre and Cordova.