Signature Fine Art Gallery Returns to Cactus Hotel

Vibrant paintings, mixed media works and photographs were being meticulously hung on the walls of the Signature Fine Art Gallery on Thursday, where owner Joeline Wieburg is celebrating a soft opening after a 7-year hiatus in South and Central America.

The space, located in suite 101 in the Cactus Hotel, was previously a children’s museum, and two weeks ago was painted in bright blues, greens yellows and pinks, Wieburg said.

In preparation for the soft opening and Thursday night’s Paint to Gogh class, a thorough remodel and many man-hours were necessary to convert the childlike space into the upscale studio and gallery that stood across the hall some 12-13 years ago.

"We had to re-carpet and repaint everything,” Wieburg said, motioning to the freshly-lain carpet. “We literally stripped down to the original, but it was fun because we found, you know, here’s 1980s carpet, here’s 1970s carpet and then here’s the 1928 tile, because the building was built in 1928. It was kind of dusty, but it was revealing.”

The Signature Fine Art Gallery isn’t new to San Angelo, but has been absentee for the past seven years as Wieburg, one of the original founders, departed with her husband for Bolivia and Guatemala. 

At the time of the Wieburg’s departure, the gallery had stood as a hallmark of art in the community for five years, started between 2002-2003 by Wieburg and long-time friend Joy Beavins.

“My friend and I had recently left Verizon and she had always been an artist and I had always been an artist and then one day—you know how things happen, just like God sends you a lightening bolt? We thought, ‘Why don’t we open a gallery? It would be a place for us to paint and our friends to paint,’” Wieburg explained.

After discussing it, the two met at the Cactus Hotel one afternoon for lunch and noticed a “For Rent” sign on the space currently occupied by a jeweler.

“Next thing you know, we had a gallery and it was highly, highly successful,” Wieburg explained.

As a part of the original operation, Wieburg and Beavins offered art classes and workshops, and were the masterminds behind the Art Walk, which still takes place on the third Thursday of every month.

Five years later, however, Wieburg’s husband retired and the two set their sites on a more tropical climate.

“…my husband decided to go to Bolivia for two years,” she said. “He’s a superintendent of schools and was eligible to retire after 35 years of teaching and being a principle…so he got a superintendant of American schools job in Bolivia, and then from there we went to Guatemala for five years, which is where we’ve been living.”

During the years she spent internationally, Wieburg traveled between San Angelo and the countries abroad, teaching art classes and workshops. Some of her Guatemalan students visited San Angelo for instruction, and artists from the world over flew in to lead the groups.

“I just split between two countries, you know. Then it was time to come back home, and Mona [Myers] has always been an artist…so we decided to make the gallery more than just a gallery and some classes,” she said of how the Signature Gallery got started again. “We did this before, but now we’re doing it more officially.”

Officially, the Signature Fine Art Gallery is headed by three female partners: Joeline Wieburg, Mona Myers and Cathy Ballard. The trio plan to offer a variety of classes, workshops and events in the gallery to turn the space into the artistic center downtown.

Currently, the gallery is hosting Paint to Gogh classes on Thursday nights from 6-9 p.m., which will feature a painting and instruction on how to achieve the image. Classes run $35 dollars and include canvasses, brushes, paint and equipment; one need only bring drinks.

“Thirteen years ago, my night classes started bringing a little wine, and the more wine they drank, the better they painted, so we thought, ‘We’re just going to do it officially,’” Wieburg laughed.

The Thursday night classes are adult-only, however children’s classes are offered Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. for $30, with all materials provided.

Other classes and workshops are in development, which will include Graffiti Signs to Gogh, a sign making class, and Gogh from Junky to Funky Furniture, in which furniture pieces are revamped into artistic masterpieces. The ladies have also planned a week-long summer camp for children, described as "a finishing school for young artists".

“We’ve grown. We’ve really expanded what we do,” Wieburg said. “You know, when you’re a starving artist, you have to do a lot of things to pay your rent!”