Historic Arlington art gallery spotlights North Texas artists, continues 57-year legacy

Multiple times a month, a college student taking an art appreciation class walks into a quaint, red and blue historic home off of downtown Arlington’s West Abram Street.

They saunter through the art-filled spaces that used to make up the house’s living room, dining room and kitchen, stop at one of the many paintings decorating the walls, snap a photo to fulfill their art class assignment to “visit a gallery,” then set off on their way.

“Well, now they know what a gallery is,” said J.T. Martin, laughing with his brother, Mac Martin. “At least they came by.”

The two brothers own The Upstairs Gallery, an Arlington house-turned-gallery that has shown and sold work by North Texas artists since 1967. In 2023, the 86-year-old home received an official historic designation from the Arlington Landmark Preservation Commission.

The gallery’s current show, “Summer Selections,” highlights the gallery’s breadth and variety. It features an eclectic mix of fresh work and returning pieces from both new and veteran artists.

Impressionistic paintings by the late Stephen Rascoe, a founding member of The Upstairs Gallery, sit across from colorful science-fiction-themed car sculptures by Chris Cunningham, whose ceramic, synthetic and glass artwork has appeared in museums across the state.

When Eleanor Martin, J.T. and Mac’s mother, established The Upstairs Gallery, community was at its core, Mac said. That foundation hasn’t changed. During the 1960s, she and a group of artistic friends devoted most weekends to painting together, often in the Martins’ house.

When the group wanted a location to show their work regularly, it established The Upstairs Gallery on the second floor of Mac’s recording studio downtown, where Arlington Public Library now stands.

The gallery soon moved to the house on Abram Street, keeping its historic name despite the single-story new domain. Its reputation grew over decades as a place for North Texas artists to show and sell their work.

Neighboring The Upstairs Gallery is another historic house — one with paint-stained walls instead of painting-lined ones. Wet paint brushes dry in every sink. Dried watercolors seep into the countertops. Tables and chairs crowd the den, all arranged to face the front of the room. 

Here, the gallery holds its art classes, which the Martins see as a core part of the Arlington art community. Because The Upstairs Gallery started as a place for artists to gather and work together, starting the classes felt natural.

Year-round, classes are taught throughout the week by professional artists who also frequent the gallery. This year, it introduced pop-up art workshops. Single session classes dig into artistic rabbit holes like gelli printing and bookbinding.

Every few months, the gallery hosts events debuting new shows, which often either follow a theme or feature a specific artist. 

The next show will debut as part of the Fort Worth Art Dealers Association’s Gallery Night on Sept. 7, in which membered museums from across Tarrant County participate. The Upstairs Gallery will showcase work by Bill Barter, a founder of the Arlington Museum of Art who paints minimalist abstractions.

Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. At the Arlington Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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