The opening had an air of freshness about it, much like the sea air you can smell from outside of PepArt, which is across the street from the Black Dog Tavern by the harbor in Vineyard Haven. For artists Greg Watson, Carrie Mae Smith and Elizabeth Cecil it is the first time owning and running an art gallery.

They opened a figurative art show this past Friday, primarily featuring the work of Mr. Watson. Other artists represented include Ms. Cecil, Ms. Smith, Suzanne Schiereson, E.M. Saniga and Kurt Knobelsdorf.

The show includes many paintings by Watson, Schierson, Saniga and Knoelsdorf as well as photographs of figures by Ms. Cecil.

“It’s very unusual,” said Mr. Watson, adding gamely: “I don’t think there has ever been a figurative show on Martha’s Vineyard — of purely figures and portraits.”

Cocreator Carrie Mae Smith concurred that she has not seen a solely figurative show on the Vineyard since she started coming to the island when she was 18.

This opening was the second opening (after the grand opening in June) for the gallery, and the first opening of its changing exhibitions for the summer season. On July 16 the gallery’s show Land Art will open, featuring primarily work by Elizabeth Cecil. Then on August 6 comes Food Art, which will exhibit primarily the work of cocreator of the gallery Ms. Smith.

Ms. Smith, Mr. Watson, and Ms. Cecil opened PepArt after showing together at Etherington Fine Arts, a gallery owned by Mary Etherington which recently moved with its owner to Texas. However, for Ms. Smith and Mr. Watson, the connection runs deeper. They met each other at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and are now married as well as artistic collaborators. The three guest artists in this particular show are also friends of theirs from that school.

“We are more or less contacting friends and associates that we have known from school or from showing at similar galleries,” said Mr. Watson of how they are choosing other artists to show with them. “It’s kind of friends, friends with an aesthetic that complements our work.”

“We have a similar aesthetic and actually have a similar palette, which is just a coincidence. I think we all really enjoy each other’s work,” said Ms. Cecil of her cocreators in the gallery. “And I think that was always the case, so it made sense for us to join forces.”

Although it is surely an overall exciting experience for all of them, different things excited them individually about the show and the new gallery.

“I love creating the exhibition and choosing what to share and then watching peoples’ response and that interaction,” said Ms. Smith. “It’s such a different experience than showing your work with someone else because there they are making all the decisions,” she said.

“I’m really mostly excited about Greg’s work, to see his portraits and figures all together; I think it really shows how established his work is. It’s different from seeing one piece; you don’t really get the whole feeling of the artist. When you have eight or ten pieces you really get more of an impact,” said Ms. Cecil, adding that she has known Carrie Mae Smith longer and so is learning about this part of Mr. Watson’s work for the first time.