Atenas's New Art Calendar Runs on a Restaurant's Clock

Through Sunday, November 29, Colors of Costa Rica, a solo show of mixed-media work by Terry Eldridge, hangs at Elevé Restaurant at Barons Resort in Sabana Larga. It is the first exhibition in Gallery Nights, a monthly series that puts one artist's original work in front of Atenas every few weeks. Since the art hangs in a working restaurant, the kitchen's schedule decides when you can see it. Viewing hours follow dinner service, closed days follow the restaurant's calendar, and buying a piece means dealing directly with the person who made it.

A standing date the town didn't have

The series was announced in a sponsored post in The Tico Times in October. The post said Atenas has landscape, climate and a mixed community of Costa Ricans, expatriates and visitors, "but few places where art has a regular program." The plan is one artist per month, with dates announced as they are confirmed. Over time it may expand to painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramic artists and mixed-media artists, and possibly add artist talks, wine tastings and creative workshops.

The Tico Times announcement quotes Joxan Obando Sánchez of Elevé on what the restaurant wants:

"We want Elevé to be a place where the community feels welcome, and where local artists and expats can show their artistic expression, with the view and the sunsets of Atenas as the setting."

The series is open to local, expat and international artists working in any visual medium. Depending on the work and the light, each show goes up in the events building, in parts of the restaurant, or in both.

Viewing hours are service hours

Elevé's website posts these hours:

Wednesday, November 18 falls in the middle of Terry Eldridge's run, and Wednesday, December 9 falls during John Taylor's. December 2 comes three days before Taylor's opening, and January 6 comes two days after his show closes. Other Wednesdays keep regular hours. November 29, the last day of Colors of Costa Rica, is a Sunday, so the room closes at 7:45 p.m. that day. Reservations go through WhatsApp at 8827-7698, the same number used for exhibition questions.

Visiting the work costs nothing. Admission is free, and dinner is optional. Since the work stays up for several weeks after each opening, anyone eating at the restaurant during the run sees it too.

How an edition works, and how buying works

Every edition follows the same pattern:

1. One artist, one collection.
2. A free opening reception from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., with a 6 oz glass of red or white wine, a chef's bite and infused water.
3. After the reception, cocktails, wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and dinner from the regular menu are available, all optional.
4. The work stays up for several weeks.
5. Each piece has a label with its title, artist, medium, dimensions and price.
6. You arrange purchases directly with the artist.

The last two points shape the visit. Every price is on the wall, and you can see the cost of a piece before you ask about it. The restaurant doesn't handle the sale, which makes the artist the person to talk to. At the opening reception, the artist is in the room.

What's on the walls through November 29

Eldridge's bio on her own site describes her as an award-winning mixed-media artist who specializes in abstracts and abstract landscapes. She worked in stained glass, mosaics and quilting in the early 1980s and began working in fine art in 2016. She is mainly self-taught and teaches mixed media to students in the U.S. and Costa Rica, and she splits her time between the two countries.

Colors of Costa Rica draws on the country's colors, textures and landscapes. The plan called for six to ten original works, all for sale.

The rest of November on the same terrace

Elevé's own event list for the month includes several dates during Eldridge's show, so a second visit can fit around one of them:

• Friday, November 13, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Elevé Sessions, with live music by Juan Diego Hernández. Free entry.
• Saturday, November 14. The restaurant opens at 3:00 p.m. for a special event, and reservations start at 3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 26, 4:00 to 8:45 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner at ₡25,000 per person, including taxes and one drink. Reservation required.
• All of November. Noviembre al Atardecer, a run of seasonal risottos starting at ₡13,000 with the 10% service charge included.

Thanksgiving lands in the last week of the show. If you are hosting family that Thursday, you can show them Eldridge's work at the same table.

December brings wildlife and landscapes

Gallery Nights changes artists every month. Here is the calendar through early 2027:

The Tico Times announcement describes Taylor as a Canadian artist and retired airline pilot who lives in Costa Rica and paints wildlife, nature and landscapes. The work on his portfolio site is oil on canvas. Jaguar measures 24 by 30 inches. Hummingbird, Cow In Pasture and Samara are each 30 by 40 inches. Most of those canvases are a size that needs a full wall.

His show runs through the holidays, and the restaurant is closed on one day of it, Wednesday, December 9. The restaurant is also booking year-end lunches and dinners for groups of 3 to 30, from ₡26,500 per person with service included. Cancellations made less than 72 hours ahead are not refundable. A holiday group lunch during the show means a table of 3 to 30 sitting in the room with Taylor's work.

Where the brushes are

Gallery Nights covers looking at and buying art. Art House Atenas is where you can make it. The studio sits on the south side of the courts in central Atenas and is run by Costa Rican artists Anna Matteucci and Felipe Martínez. It teaches drawing, painting and creative development through courses for all ages and levels and one-day workshops, and it offers psychology sessions and art therapy. English is spoken, and the studio's WhatsApp is 8516-3131.

One more date is listed for this weekend. The Upe community calendar shows a Feria Nacional de Arte Atenas 2026 on Sunday, November 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Centro Ferial de Atenas. The listing describes up to 50 stands, food, music, covered space and parking. The listing was posted by a community member, so check with the venue before you drive over.

If you take home a piece from Elevé's wall or Art House's easels, we can help you hang it well. At Bryana Conway, our design team plans walls, lighting and sightlines for the art Atenas homeowners buy, from one oil canvas to a full gallery wall. Let's Connect.