INSIDE: FOLD-OUT MAP OF DOWNTOWN NAPA photo by Israel Valencia Handmade work at The Grand Hand Gallery dazzles Main Street T artists, to the Valley’s gallery offerings. “We try to bring work by some of the veryhe newly opened Grand Hand Gallery on Main Street in Downtown Napa,brings a focus on fine American craft, with an emphasis on local and regional best American artisans from across the country into the gallery, with about half of those from Northern California, and Napa Valley in particular,” said owner Ann Ruhr Pifer. The gallery carries work in a wide variety of media—wood, ceramics, metal, glass, jewelry, fiber, and wearable art, as well as original woodblock prints and paintings. Pifer opened her first gallery in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2004, and over the years developed a concentration of both artists and customers in the Bay Area. “My gallery business connections, as well as good friends in the area, opened my eyes to the exciting developments in downtown Napa several years ago. Then finding just the right space, and just the right manager—Kristina Young, formerly Executive Director of the Arts Council of Napa Valley—made it all come together earlier this year,” said Pifer. photo by Israel Valencia The style of the gallery is contemporary, earthy, and elegant. “I love work that is clearly handmade—where you can see evidence of the hand of the person who made it. In our world of mass-produced goods, there is something refreshing and inspiring about living with beautiful things that were clearly handmade by a real human being. I love reaching for a one-of-a-kind mug from my cupboard for my morning coffee, and seeing the thumbprint of the artist who made it at the top of the handle, or where they held it to dip into glaze before firing,” said Pifer. Pifer and gallery manager Young are excited about showcasing local and regional artists in their schedule of upcoming shows and events, as well as regional writers and musicians. OPEN MAP The gallery’s upcoming show featuring Napa glass artist Patti Wessman (whose work has HERE long been shown in The Grand Hand’s St. Paul gallery) and Napa painter Maash Pascal (September 1 – October 29), and jewelry trunk show by nationally-recognized Bay Area jewelry artist Lynda Fullerton-Bahr on September 8, said Young, are great examples of the kind of local/regional slant that we plan to incorporate into the gallery’s offerings. Send your name and e-mail address to Kristina@thegrandhand.com to be added to their e-mail list for notification of upcoming events. And, in the meantime, stop in see the wonderful work featured at The Grand Hand Gallery for yourself. www.thegrandhand.com
NVLife_SeptOct_2012
To see the actual publication please follow the link above