Wunderkammer Co. is not your typical art gallery, for several reasons.
It all starts with a former restaurant building on Fort Wayne’s south side, when Casa D’Angelo, an Italian restaurant and staple of the neighborhood, shut its doors a few years ago.
Local artist Dan Swartz purchased the facility spring 2012, located at 3402 Fairfield Ave., with the hopes of trying to connect local artists with their community. Today, he operates the contemporary art gallery as a 501(c) 3 organization, Wunderkammer. The space houses three gallery spaces, two with rapidly rotating exhibits, and one devoted to performance art and installations.
What can visitors expect at Wunderkammer? Swartz envisions a space where people can experience all the arts, similar to a contemporary arts center in bigger cities. For example, patrons could hypothetically see a poetry reading, dance troupe, film, or visual art show in the same space. For example, the gallery will be hosting the upcoming Fringe Festival January 31 – February 3.
He also plans to keep the integrity and atmosphere of the building, saying that the bar area and entrances will stay more or less the same because Swartz wants to keep the general feel of the space.
The gallery formally opened in January, and Swartz has already been met with great interest. Come on out and see what Wunderkammer is all about! Gallery hours are 1-9 pm, Wed.-Sun.
