Photograph by Paul Myers

Gallery Saratoga has recently moved into a new, roomier location on Big Basin Way.




Gallery Saratoga moves and expands

By Shari Kaplan

With more room on the interior, more visibility from the exterior and new members joining almost weekly, Gallery Saratoga is growing like a dormant seed that waited for the right conditions in which to germinate.

The artists' cooperative sat at 14531 Big Basin Way, unit 3--actually a bit down 4th Street from the intersection--since the early 1990s. Before that, another incarnation was located at the old El Paseo De Saratoga shopping center.

The gallery's partly obscured Big Basin Way location and its gradual decline in walk-in business led the artists to pool their time, monies and talents to--respectively--find and secure a better venue, manage the security deposit and rent, and renovate the venue to suit their purposes. The latter included painting the walls and installing track lighting, a sound system and apparatus for hanging paintings on the walls.

It all came together Jan. 16, when Gallery Saratoga opened its doors just a few blocks to the north, at 14435-A Big Basin Way.

"Over half the members made financial contributions," says Jim Gott of San Jose, who sculpts bowls, urns, vases and other vessels out of wood. "It's already paying off. Our reception [on Feb. 2] was absolutely full of people for three hours!"

"We're getting a lot more business and a lot more foot traffic. Some people who've been in Saratoga for 20 years have come in and asked us, 'Oh, are you new?'" he says, reflecting on the visibility problem of the old location.

Adds Gott, additionally, the 726-square-foot gallery (compared to the old one's 559 square feet) has already had several local artists either join or inquire about membership. Among the newest members are Los Gatos painters Kathy Keenan, Karen Eason and Renee New and eclectic jewelry-maker Dori Urch Kark, daughter of longtime member Avie Urch of Los Altos.

They join the 20 or so current members, who mostly hail from Saratoga, Los Gatos, San Jose, Campbell, Cupertino and Sunnyvale. This month, since they've all just moved in, there's no featured artist. Instead, everyone is exhibiting equally together.

Among the works visitors can see are giclee watercolor prints of fairytale maidens by Deborah Woods of San Jose; mixed media collages incorporating leaves and recycled paper by Los Gatan Linda B. Spencer; hand-painted silk scarves and earrings by Los Gatan Margaret Magill; nature-themed crackled ceramic plates and whimsical earthenware animals by Saratogans Donna Padrick and Jeanne Redig, respectively; watercolor paintings of local scenes by Saratogan Norman Dana Carter; and photography by Felicia Peters Pollock, Luisa Tosi Claeys and Don del Castillo. There's also greeting cards and plenty more ceramics, jewelry and paintings.

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Gallery Saratoga is at 14435-A Big Basin Way. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 408.867.0458 or visit www.gallerysaratoga.com on the Internet.

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