Gallery Hopping on Main Street
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Peter Katz in Community
Perhaps art galleries are only for snobby intellectuals, but I have bad news for all of you: simply by going to college, you are taking part in a long tradition of snobby intellectuals from the classical Mid-East to Charlemagne to Oxford and Cambridge. Own it.
Frankly, as far as art galleries go, St. Helena is one of the best places to hone your snobby intellectualism, or to begin to come to terms with it. On Main Street alone, there are no less than four formal art galleries, and several more if you expand your definition of gallery—and all of them are free.
Caldwell Snyder
My personal favorite as far as my taste in genre, Caldwell Snyder is about halfway down the first section of Main Street. The gallery has a contemporary leaning, with a movement toward emerging artists that makes it the most radical gallery in St. Helena. Caldwell Snyder is more than just a gallery; it is, according to according to gallery employee and PUC alumna Katie Hopgood, a “cultural epicenter,” featuring humanitarian and intellectual exhibits as well, such as an impending lecture series. The gallery tends to have a good deal of geometric and fluid abstraction with the vivid colors and busyness typical of the late twentieth century, as well as some decent neo-impressionism and simply phenomenal surrealist paintings. Current displays include sculptures by Greg Miller, and a series of fascinating absurdist—though, according to the artist, not surrealist, because all of the instances are potentially feasible, no matter the improbability—works by Ukrainian artist Ilya Zomb. The gallery has an upper-class feel, though its amicable employees make one feel comfortable. If modern art is your thing, then Caldwell Snyder is a must-visit; the exhibits tend to rotate with some frequency, so it is worth dropping by several times over the year.
I. Wok
Another favorite, the I. Wok gallery has a more “conservative” slant to its art, according to one of the employees. Works here tend to be representative or concrete, though generally via intriguing and novel methods. There remain a few paintings from an artist who does flowers with pictures from magazines (often shocking pictures, which makes it all the more interesting), and some of the impressionist paintings I have seen previously were obscure almost to the point of abstraction, yet profoundly concrete. There is also a good bit of sculpture—currently, a series of birds and fruit that appeal even to my preference for surrealism and abstraction, while still remaining definitely concrete. The ambiance sits somewhere between a formal museum and a small-town gallery, and the combination is both friendly and formal. This gallery is a safe and worthwhile stop on your journey into art galleries.
Art on Main
If the museum style of I Wok and Caldwell Snyder intimidate you, Art on Main is a brilliant starting point. While still very much an art gallery, the architecture of the gallery is such that it feels far more private, separating you from the front desk and other art-surveyors, and not like you need to be wearing a full suit or evening gown (though we do like formal wear). The gallery is “a little bit of everything” according to manager Suzanne Perkins, with a leaning toward “area” artists, though it includes national and international art as well. Currently, Art on Main has some outstanding impressionist paintings, and a good bit of pastoral—specifically Napa Vally-esque—representative painting and sculpture. The gallery is very focused on the experience of the viewer, with design and setting intentionally created to ensure an atmosphere of comfort and accessibility.
Christopher Hill
We will be frank: we intended to go to the Christopher Hill gallery, but we were running short on time, and it happens to be closed on Tuesdays, which is both when we went down, and the day before we need our final copy. Based on what I have seen before, once you get over the feeling of trespassing through the little door and stairwell, the gallery itself is well-worth visiting. The artwork lands nicely in the center between radical and conservative, with a little on both ends, and a solid mix of genre. Construction itself encourages something between a formal museum feel and a more intimate experience. The artists featured tend to be nationally and internationally renowned, and therefore of exceptional quality. Definitely worth your time; fear not the stairs.
Other galleries
Several stores on Main Street like Findings, Martin (M.), etc. are eclectic and set up with an eye for design and display. While they may not consider themselves galleries, or others may not consider them galleries, they most certainly could be. While on your tour of St. Helena’s art, I suggest dropping by some of these stores as well.
So get on your collared shirt or nice blouse, puff yourself up with intellectual confidence, and go forth to check out the culture St. Helena offers. With so much talent and beauty at our fingertips, it would be a shame for PUC-ites to miss these opportunities.
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