If you know anything about Art in Ellicott City, you may have heard a tale or two about, probably have glanced a painting or matting by and certainly have admired the Red House gallery reconstruction from which the Manelli family men have been making their colorful mark on Ellicott City and the Howard County Art Community for the past 50 years.
“My father, Gino, was the first professional artist to set up his studio in Old Town,” says son, Julian. “He found inspiration from the old buildings, babbling streams and nearby woods. I got to join him on weekends and in the summer, learning and doing prep work on canvases, simple restorations and framing.”
“He really loved Ellicott City and its hippy culture,” offers Julian. “When he got to purchase his own place, the original part of this building in 1971, he worked tirelessly to make it his own. He had an art gallery on the first floor, art classes on the second and squeezed a bedroom on the third.” Recalls Julian. “When he was in his “zone,” he would spend days at the studio.”
Julian rebuilt and expanded the Red House in 2005 to celebrate his father’s legacy and accomplishments and to establish his own gallery and framing business, Mat About You. The handsome reconstruction stands tall and in the image of the original, boasting a modern retail gallery, studio and workshop on the first floor and two levels of residence living complete with wall to wall original work.
Julian’s company, Mat About You, together with Howard County Tourism and the Howard County Arts Council, created “Paint It,” a plein-air painting event that today draws regional artists to paint scenes of Old Town during a July weekend. They even established The Gino Award which is presented to two outstanding artists at the events closing ceremony—an honor that continues the legacy of Gino’s love of art, artists, Old Town and the Red House.
“My dad got his first art job at Taylor’s Furniture Store in 1967,” says Julian. “I am proud to say my family displays art from the Red House in Taylor’s today.”
LIVE and Work Inspired in Historic Ellicott City
3751 Hamilton Street (aka 3774 Old Columbia Pike)
Offered for sale at $600,000
Art Gallery available for lease at $1,900
Kimberly Kepnes of Monument Sotheby’s International Realty
