Coffee House | Art Gallery | Picasso Museum
One of the more unique art-oriented establishments in the Bay area, Art Smart in Dunedin is a combined coffee house, art gallery and Picasso Museum and is owned and run by Mario Gutierrez.
It’s located in an unassuming strip center space with a large patio in front. The façade belies the huge content of creativity within. The counter on your left as you enter is a fairly typical café serving counter, a bit quirkier, with stickers, photos, artwork and statues somewhat haphazardly, yet organized, all over the place. With a quick glance to your right, the extent of the content within becomes apparent. Another world awaits. …But coffee first.
Art Smart’s coffee beans, all roasted in-house, are bought in bulk. The idea is cost, quality of product and price to the consumer. There are no Starbucks prices at Art Smart, but there is the attention to flavor and satisfaction. Buy an iced coffee and Art Smart has ice cubes made from coffee. Ensuring your coffee’s flavor and taste does not become diluted as the ice melts. That’s the attention we’re talking about. Buy a cup, or take home a bag of freshly roasted beans, ground or whole, at a price you will appreciate.
Wander with your coffee into the living space of Mario. Everything has its place. The paintings, many from local artists, are organized and displayed with professionalism. After browsing a few aisles of beautiful art, you enter the realm of Picasso. Mario is a Picasso aficionado, an expert. The bulk of Art Smarts Picasso collection, collected over many years, includes prints, posters, and statues from Picasso’s African Period. Picasso’s African Period, which lasted from 1905 to 1909, was the period when Picasso painted in a style which was strongly influenced by African sculpture, particularly traditional African masks and art of ancient Egypt, in addition to non-African influences including Iberian sculpture, and the art of Paul Cézanne and El Greco.
Over years of collecting Picasso memorabilia Mario believes he is the owner of three authentic, original pieces of Picasso art. One of which he has had the University of Tampa test the age of the paint, and it falls into the date range of Picasso’s African Period. This predates the start of the Cubist period and would make the piece the first cubist painting on record. If verified to be authentic it would have a potential auction value of one hundred million dollars. More on this in a later issue.
Beyond the Picasso Museum there are rooms somewhat hidden away in the back. There is a buyers/framing area, and there is what we will call an overflow room packed with an abundance of more art, available at affordable prices.
Exploring Art Smart, with your coffee, may take the better part of an afternoon but you will not have seen it all. A return visit may be in order. •
