By Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Oct 29, 2007 at 2:21 PM

Thursday, Nov. 1 marks the official opening of Downtown newest art venue, the Milwaukee Street Gallery, 717 N. Milwaukee St.

Barbi Blutstein, who has been a part of the local art-selling circuit for more than 25 years, has joined forced with Jane Chernof, a business entrepreneur, to open the gallery, which will feature work by nationally and internationally known artists in the form of contemporary and vintage posters, paintings, prints, sculpture and reproductions.

"Our passion for collecting and selling art, combined with our commitment to unparalleled customer service, will allow us to satisfy a niche in the area that has been left unfilled," says Blutstein.

The gallery features fine art from private and corporate collections and also affords people the opportunity to consign artwork they already own to be sold through the gallery.

The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., or by appointment. It's closed Sunday and Monday. 

Julie Lawrence Special to OnMilwaukee.com

OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.

As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”