It is with great regret that we are announcing that Gallery Row will be retiring at the end of the day on January 20, 2024, after 34 years wonderful years as an artistic presence in Gig Harbor. Some of our individual artists will still be creating and showing their work in other venues, so be sure to check our Facebook page to keep track of what is new with everyone: Gallery Row Art Gallery.
Gallery Row is a cooperative gallery, which is a very special type of art gallery. It’s entirely managed and run by the artists, sharing the rent, the tasks and the display spaces equally. When customers visit Gallery Row, it is one of our own artists that they get to talk to.
We thought you might enjoy a brief history of our art gallery. In the spring of 1989, five watercolor artists painted together once a week and wanted a permanent place that they could meet, so they rented the space next to the Shoreline restaurant (now Anthony’s restaurant.)
It was a big studio space with huge tables ready for classes, week-long still life setups, friends over to paint together and the space in front to hang the paintings. We really didn’t think of ourselves as a business, more like a studio, but if anyone wanted to buy what we hung in the studio, that was great! There was a fantastic view to paint or just inspire. Much to our surprise the public saw us as a business, so we brought in more artists, a ceramic artist, glass blower, other painters, and jewelers.
In 2002 our rent was going up and the space was too small for enough more artists to join us. This Harborview building (where we are currently located) was for rent and we decided to move. We interviewed many new artists to come move with us and we became 15. Over the years we have tried to stay at about that number with more painters, pencil and pastel artists, fused glass, wood turners, jewelers and many more types of art.
Gallery Row has been in Gig Harbor for 34 years. It has been a gathering place for many social events, artists screening, Girl’s Night Out, Sip and Stroll, art classes and Art Walks. Customers can come in and wander through the many rooms looking for that perfect piece for their homes or for gift giving. It has been a place where customers can come in and ask questions about the unique processes each of the artists specializes in.
From the very beginning, every artist went out of their way to support each other. If artists were still working “day” jobs when they joined, we insured that they could work their shifts on the weekends. More than once, the group has come together to help cover artists that have had health issues, sometimes for months at a time. Our artists always tried to nurture each other’s creativity and well-being. What a gift it has been to be part of this talented and loving group!
Some of the artists from our earliest Gallery Row days by the Shoreline Restaurant are still with us: Sandy Newhouse, Donna Moen, Marjorie Mankin and Karen and Norm Geiger. Other artists that joined after we changed locations are also still with us, including Kate Larsson, Arvid Anderson, Nancy Corey, Paulette Hofflin, Shannon Kruger, Christine Hella Cott Thompson and Marty Bobrowski. Our newest artists include Josi Callan, Lea Basile-Lazarus, Brad Powers and Beth Owen. And, of course, we’ve been fortunate to have had many other talented artists with us over the years including the very special Mary Bessette.
It’s been wonderful to see how Gallery Row has grown over the years, and to see the new artists that have work displayed. We love meeting people from all over the country that come to visit.
We will miss Gig Harbor! Be sure to stop by before our last day on January 20, 2024 – we’d love to have you come back and visit before we retire!
