From surreal anatomical renditions of a personal health journey to showcasing the first time portfolios of young upstart painters, a local art gallery is highlighting talented creators every month at The Martlet Brewery.

Since January, the walls of The Martlet Brewery in Historic Downtown Pocatello have been filled with beautiful canvas paintings. Each carefully crafted art piece has a personal story attached to it, which details the inspiration behind the work and provides a window into the soul of its creator.

These creators collaborate with fellow artist Nick Hottmann, who features around 10 pieces of their work in a gallery for his fledgling art collective, the Gate City Creative Group.

Hottmann was first inspired by art gallery curation during an internship in his years at art school, where he enjoyed learning the methodology of each artist and how they approach their craft. He would continue that passion when he eventually moved to Texas, opening the White Buffalo Gallery with a fellow artist.

Years later, Martlet owner Billy Chaddock would reach out to Hottmann for the stylistic renovations for his brewery, who would provide it with its current dark blue walls and wood paneled aesthetic. But the space still felt somewhat empty, so Hottmann suggested an idea to feature local artists for a gallery to give them exposure and provide a splash of color to the Martlet.

“It’s been a great experience to be able to host a variety of different artists that we maybe never would have seen or been exposed to,” Chaddock said. “Usually when you go into a spot, you go into it because of a certain aesthetic. Even though the overall feeling stays the same in terms of the space, mixing up the art every single month lets people get outside of their regular comfort zone a little bit.”

While it was his brainchild, Hottman said the Gate City Creative Group is its own entity with its own artists and their work, emphasizing he doesn’t want people to associate it with just his work.

“My goal is to eventually be able to teach portfolio classes for kids, if they don’t know how to get started going to school in an art group,” Hottmann said. “I want to be able to bring other artists and features in.”

Hottman designed the group as a creator collective because he wanted to grow it organically, spreading it through word of mouth, conversations and people reaching out. Hottmann has previously worked with art teachers like Lana Gribas at Grace Lutheran and hopes to highlight some of the elementary and high school formal art into local galleries.

“I want to eventually be able to have creative meet ups, support the theaters and have photographers come in and teach classes,” Hottmann said. “Then here at The Martlet, we’re going to be doing a ‘Paint a Hat Night.’ I want to have artists coming in doing pet portrait nights and offering classes and doing more of that creative hub. But it’s also promoting the Art Center down the street and it’s also connecting with Idaho State University’s arts departments and giving a voice to some of these artists that have never been shown before.”

In keeping with that concept, Gate City Creative’s gallery featured the debut work of local artist Hadlee Harris in January and February. Other featured artists included Ryan Sharpe in March, Mark Daniels in April, Nick Hottmann himself in May, Madalynn Treasure in June and Kristi Fisk in July.

August’s feature showcases the work of David Hance, who Hottmann said has recently battled health issues. Hance’s art is deeply personal, a reflective journey as he went through heart surgery, an amputation and losing sight in his left eye. From the sinewy and surreal acrylic painting dubbed “Arterial Flow” to the anatomically rich mixed media of “Every Sacred Heart” Hance takes its viewers on an introspective sojourn into deeply human experiences.

Hottmann even relayed the powerful story behind Hance’s painting “Ladies Who Lunch” a trio of women whom Hance hallucinated during bouts of drug induced delirium while in the hospital. In his artist footnote of the painting, Hance said they provided a semblance of comfort, pulling up chairs on either side of his bed, speaking quietly and holding his hands. Hance said he imagined them sitting in the cafeteria, discussing what craft items they would bring him next.

In deciding what artist to feature, Hottmann said he looks for individuals that want to show their work and are capable of producing around 10 pieces for the gallery. He tasks the artists to send them their portfolios after which they will sit down for a meeting and walk through the space with him. They’ll then sign a contract, with the understanding of certain restrictions on depictions of work that are culturally offensive, particularly insensitive or too contrarian for a public space, Hottman said.

The first Tuesday of every month, the featured artist invites close friends and family for a private showing before a public showcase during Historic Downtown Pocatello’s First Friday Art Walk.

While the artists can give feedback on where they would like their art to be placed in The Martlet, Hottmann is the one who curates the show so he generally arranges the work. All of the art is for sale and Hottmann works with the artist on appropriate costs. Once the work is sold, it remains in the gallery for the rest of the month at which point Hottmann will facilitate the sale and pay the artist.

While Hottmann has already booked out Gate City Creative Group galleries at The Martlet for the rest of the year and is already looking to book showings for 2026, he wants to find other shows to include more artists every month in his creative endeavors.

“It’s just a neat opportunity for artists to have here, but as we open up other venues and other opportunities that creates more shows,” Hottmann said. “My goal is to have three or four shows a month, which means there’s a private opening in Pocatello every week. That’s what I would really like to see.”

Hottmann believes the Gate City could become a creative hub and that locals are starting to recognize its potential. But despite these efforts, Hottmann said there is a slight disconnect. From music venues, community theaters and the mass scope of artistry in town, the creative energies of the Gate City often hum under the surface, passing by but never fully connecting.

“I think that everyone’s trying to connect these dots and connect these bridges for everything,” Hottmann said. “Eventually all of them are going to click and everything’s just going to hum. It’s going to be this cool energy that’s coming out of Pocatello.”

Hottmann continued, “I love to see local artists get exposure. I love to see local artists be successful. I feel honored that Mark (Daniels) mentioned me in his interview, because that’s cool to me, that’s neat to know that I had that impact for him. I want to be able to see all these artists grow and evolve and if that means us helping the Art Center connect, the Glen Allen Project connecting and the theaters connecting, that’s great. I don’t need flowers, I don’t need a paycheck. I just want to be able to know that all these silos, these islands, have a way to connect to each other. That’s what I’m excited to see.”