What have you learned about art from listening to gallery goers?

Melissa Breese, Shephard Fine ArtSpace, Oak Bluffs: “A lot of what I do is educate people about what they’re looking at — especially when it’s abstract. People say, ‘What am I looking at and why do I like it?’ It’s interesting helping them make the connection between why they’re drawn to a piece and what the artist’s intention is. The colors, movement, shapes, and emotions exist independently from what’s representational, and evokes different feelings. Reactions are not something one can predict.”