Fine art and family, the Cutter & Cutter way

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Art galleries tend to be regarded as somewhat stuffy and pretentious, but Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Galleries is trying to prove that stereotype wrong.

“We’re not trying to intimidate anyone,” says Len Cutter, who owns the art dealership with her wife, Sonya, and sons Matthew and Mark. “If there’s any intimidation, it’s the art we represent. We want our people to know we’re there, it’s a family business, it’s right in your backyard and we would love it if you would just come in and say hello.”

Cutter & Cutter has been a prominent player in the First Coast art scene for 20 years. Its galleries feature artists from across the United States and globe including Salvador Dali, ROYO, Pablo Picasso, Dr. Suess and Frederick Hart, among many others. The business offers originals, sculpture and limited edition fine art from various genres including cityscapes, figurative, landscapes, marine, master prints, portraits and still life/

Some of the business’ pieces cost tens of thousands of dollars and most are regarded as world-class, but that doesn’t mean the Cutter family has forgotten its humble beginnings.

“We didn’t start out in our business,” Mark Cutter says. “We didn’t know the first thing about it. We’ve learned over the years all about these artists, and we can share that. But it’s not in one of those snooty ways where there’s a buzzer at the door and you’re not going to be let in if you’re not looking to our standard.”

Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Galleries began 20 years ago as a simple gift shop in St. Augustine. Now, the business has highly regarded galleries in downtown St. Augustine in the Plaza de la Constitucion and within the shops of Sawgrass Village in Ponte Vedra Beach. The firm also operates a full-service frame shop and a secure warehouse.

What makes Len most proud, however, is that his family has worked together in growing the business. Sonya runs the office, Matthew is a respected First Coast artist and partner in the business and Mark “can comprehend well what it takes to make everything work and keep the old man quiet,” jokes Len.

“Our company is a family business,” Len says. “We’re proud of it. We worked so hard to bring art to this community.”

Mark added that their family does not simply include the four of them. It also includes their employees, many of whom have worked for the business for several years, and clients. 

“We can’t do it without them,” Mark says. “We truly try to create a family environment.”

 

Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Galleries (https://www.cutterandcutter.com/) will hold the following events over the next several months:

 

·       Sept. 7: Frederick Hart exhibition at Ponte Vedra Beach gallery

·       Oct. 12: Ramon Vilanova personal appearance at St. Augustine gallery

·       Nov. 9: Salvador Dali event at Ponte Vedra Beach gallery

·       Dec. 7: Matthew J. Cutter event at St. Augustine gallery

·       Jan. 25: Tang Wei Min event at Ponte Vedra Beach gallery