Owned by veterinarians Doctors Linda and Dean Tintle who both run the veterinary clinic next door, the gallery is run by Roberta Rosenthal, a Sullivan County artist whose dream it was to open such a space, which officially opened to the public on Saturday, August 11. A combination of a gallery, art school, and gift shop, the Red Eft was packed to the brim with people perusing the artwork, many considering pieces for purchase, sipping champagne and nibbling on high-quality finger foods such as sushi rolls and filet mignon provided by tuxedoed staff who toured the space throughout the gathering.

Pieces ranged from sculpture to hanging art to bags, and ranged in price from as low as $30 to as high as $20,000. Helena Jeanty of Jersey City drove all the way up from the Garden State just to bear witness to the Red Eft's opening ceremonies, and was pleasantly surprised to be confronted with so many worthy purchase choices. “I've actually seen a couple paintings I'm interested in. I tend to be very picky about art,” she said. “I usually can't find one thing that I'd like to look at every single day. I think I might've found a couple of pieces, though.”

Two area-artists, Glen Wild's Jeannette Capriano and Westbrookville's Linda Bayer Domanoski, had many kind words for the Wurtsboro gallery, a space which managed to delight both of them after they'd grown weary with other galleries. “It's as good as any gallery in downtown New York,” said Capriano, originally a Manhattan native. Domanoski, who also teaches at the gallery, agreed with Capriano's sentiments, saying, “If you've been around the gallery scene, this is ten times better than most galleries as far as the space that they make for it.”

Linda Tintle was very pleased with the way the gallery turned out, which was still undergoing last-minute renovations and construction only hours before the event. “I'm ecstatic, I'm really delighted with everything and how it's turned out,” beamed Tintle. “From start to finish it's been a little over eight months, and I think it's almost a miracle that it's come together like this. I'm really happy.” Open for walkthroughs on weekends, the Red Eft also offers art classes. For continuing updates on events and class schedules, visit their website at www.redeftgallery.com.

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