Eugene Quinn likes painting live art: waves crashing against the shore, the sunrise coloring the sky and water, kids playing in the sand. So it just makes sense that Quinn’s art gallery captures the coastal feel of his artwork.
Quinn has been painting the local beach scenes since moving to the First Coast fulltime in 2016, when be brought his art studio Coquina — a name that plays on the beach shell and Quinn & Co. — to Jacksonville Beach. But while his previous Beaches-area studios served the purpose of displaying Quinn’s work, they lacked that “feel” that some of Quinn’s previous studios along the Northeast coast had.
However, in December 2019, the perfect opportunity arose to recreate the magic of past studios when Sidney Cardel’s owner decided to close up the local gift shop located at 237 Fifth Ave. S. in Jacksonville Beach.
Something about the property called to Quinn and business partner Deanna Clement.
“This place has soul,” Quinn said.
Quinn’s art once graced the walls at Sidney Cardel’s, and the property itself just has the beach house look and feel, making it a perfect fit for the new tenants’ vision.
“When he put his art in this area, it was almost like it was just meant to be,” Clement said.
Quinn and Clement, a photographer, are using their combined artistic talents to create more than a gallery at the Beaches. The two have plans to offer some of what the previous tenants offered — unique gifts and keepsakes with a local flavor.
A new offering from Coquina include gift sets and other souvenir items like tote bags, small prints, and even wine stoppers featuring some of Quinn’s beautiful, beachy art.
The gallery will also immerse visitors in the scenic beauty of the First Coast. One of the plans for the gallery is having each space tell a story from different coastal areas around Northeast Florida.
And Quinn doesn’t worry about running out of inspiration.
“There’s a lot of good material here,” Quinn said. “It’s pretty great to live in a place where you can surf and then paint the scene.”
The most important thing, however, is that visitors to the gallery get to share the feeling Quinn and Clement have from the new location, which is just steps from the beach.
“We refer to it as ‘The Beach House of Fine Art,’” Clement said. “We want people to walk in and get the coastal feel. It’s about coastal love and we feel like Sidney Cardel’s just passed the torch of sharing that to us.”
Quinn also holds painting classes in the upstairs area of the gallery and plans to conduct painting classes in the outdoor courtyard during warmer weather. It’s just a laidback, relaxed atmosphere where anyone interested in painting can get the basics regardless of skill level.
“The fun part is being able to share this [love of art],” Quinn said.
For more information on Coquina Studio Gallery, visit coquinajax.com or email eugenequinn@gmail.com.
