Gallery One celebrates its 20th anniversary with a weekend of festivities Sept. 12-13

A Petaluma gallery that started in a former chiropractor?s office is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an entire weekend of festivities beginning with an open house on Friday, Sept. 12.

Artist Linda Gonzalez, who owns and operates Gallery One with her husband, Michael, takes pride that it is the only art gallery that offers paintings and handcrafted functional American crafts.

?You can?t find a ceramic mug in town that is made by an artist ? it?s all mass-produced,? said Gonzalez. ?We don?t have anything that?s mass-produced. They?re all pretty much one of a kind.?

Gallery One opened in 1988 around the corner on Liberty Street, in an office that had recently been vacated by a chiropractor. Three years later, the gallery moved to its current location on Western Avenue.

Gonzalez does monotype art, painting and reflection photography, and some of her pieces will also be exhibited during the 20th anniversary celebration.

Gonzalez, who graduated with a degree in fine arts from Dominican University in San Rafael, said that the work of the university?s resident artist, Sister Adele Rowland, will also be on display this weekend. Rowland?s internationally recognized counterpoint imagery is inspired by images of Asia and the Southwest. In counterpoint imagery, two images are juxtaposed as one.

Rowland has lectured across the world in photography and her photo montages have been shown in France and Rome.

Gallery One represents about 300 different artists all over Sonoma and Marin counties. In all, the works of about 47 artists will be on display in the 20th anniversary show.

Other works at the exhibition will include original book covers by the late James Avati, a member of the Illustrators Hall of Fame, and the aquatint etchings of Stephen McMillan.

Known as the ?Rembrandt of paperback book cover artists,? Avati worked for many major book publishers, including Bantam, Avon, Pocket, Fawcett and Dell. His credits include the covers of ?African Queen? and ?The Wind is Rising.? Two of his original covers on display this weekend are ?God?s Little Acre? by Erskine Caldwell, published by Signet and ?The Green Flame? by Marcus Spinelli (Bantam), which features a self-portrait of Avati as a young man.

?He was the most prolific and sought-after paperback book cover artist of the 1950s and ?60s,? said Michael Gonzalez.

McMillan?s work is also considered extraordinary, with his copper plate etchings requiring a tedious process using extremely small paintbrushes. Michael Gonzalez said many patrons and visitors to the gallery don?t believe his etchings are not photographs.

Katya, a Sausalito artist known only by her first name, will have her work on display and be available to take special orders. According to her site, www.katyaglass.com, her work ?draws on ancient custom and beauty, translating it exquisitely into alluring contemporary design.? Up to eight pieces of glass can be used in her designs, in which ripples bubbles and shade diversity are her signature.

Gallery One?s anniversary weekend begins with an open house on Friday, Sept 12. Then on Saturday, the gallery will hold a trunk show featuring the new collection of handmade dichotic fused glass jewelry by Katya from noon to 4 p.m.

A reception with the music of Alex Fuhrman, a flamenco and Spanish genre-inspired artist, and refreshments will top off Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Despite the two decades, Linda said they?re also celebrating their success through the economic downturn, a time when many people are cutting back on extras such as art. The couple credits Gallery One?s survival during this time due to steadiness of repeat customers. Katya?s work is also a huge draw, and Gonzalez said many customers come in just to buy and peruse her jewelry.

?It?s all due to our loyal customers from Petaluma,? said Linda. ?Our repeat customers.?

(Contact Cheyenne Lee at argus@arguscourier.com)

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