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Meet The Gallery Owners

By Nancy McRae

Coronado’s Artful Pleasures

Think all the best art galleries are in La Jolla? A walk through Coronado’s art galleries just might open your eyes! According to a study cited by Julio Souza, owner of Stephen Clayton Galleries at the Ferry Landing, 85 percent of the
people who buy art are on vacation. That’s fine for Coronado’s tourists, but
Coronado residents who have not visited our galleries are missing out on some world-class art collections. Come take a walk on our arty side.

CL: How did you get into the art business?

Jill Hardman, Art and Frames by Wood Gallery: I was an art major at De Pauw University in Indiana and finished graduate work in Paris. My first gallery opened in 1972 in Del Mar. Framing is truly my passion. I pioneered the PPFA (Professional Picture Framers Association) nearly 30 years ago, and have earned several first-place awards for frame design.

Julio Souza, Stephen Clayton Galleries: I always wanted to study art, but being one of many children in a large family, it wasn’t practical. I worked in the family business in Mexico City (a furniture and appliance business), but when the opportunity presented itself last year to buy this gallery, I jumped at it. I told the sales associates and our framer, Vince Jackson, who has been at the gallery over 10 years, that I would not make any changes to the gallery right away. At one point I thought about putting in hardwood floors and very elegant lighting, but they all said “No! That will make the gallery seem too intimidating.” They were right. We want people to feel comfortable to come in and just look around.

Glenn McNary, Coronado Art Gallery: I was born and raised in an art family and have been going to art shows all my life. I’ve learned what sells and what doesn’t. I wanted to focus on ceramics, then I figured out that there are a lot of starving potters! I worked for 20 years as a framer for high-end galleries in San Diego and Coronado, and opened this gallery 3 years ago.

Because I have a 21/2-year-old son, we’re probably the most kid-friendly gallery in the region. I have videos, crayons and snacks for kids so parents can relax while they choose their art and frames.

Gerry Lounsbury, The Wood’n Angel: Even though I studied nursing in Boston and worked as an RN in
Nebraska, all my spare time was devoted to art classes. I fell in love with early American folk art and European
decorative folk art. I’ve been president of the Coronado Art Association for many years now. We have 30 to 35
juried artists exhibiting at Art in the Park in Spreckels Park every first and third Sunday of the month, year-round.

Penny Duermeyer, Square-On Frames: After my late husband retired from the Navy he did the framing for a heraldry business in the Hotel Del. When he died, I thought “I’ll do this for one more year.” That was 15 years ago. I love the customer contact.

CL: Is art a good investment? How can you tell “good art” from “bad art”?

Hardman: Art is a good investment if you like it. Good art should give you pleasure every time you look at it. Determining the monetary value of art takes some homework on the buyer’s part. Research the artist on the Internet and trust the gallery you’re buying from.

McNary: A Picasso worth $100,000 is an investment. That’s a different league. I sell memories. People come here for their honeymoon, anniversaries, vacations. They want to take home a little piece of Coronado.
Vintage art has also become a big market for me, even with the locals, especially the vintage postcards of Coronado and San Diego.

People ask if art featured in our gallery will go up in value. If it’s a signed, limited edition, the answer is “Yes, some.” Sue McNary sells originals in my gallery; those are collectible and worth spending $5,000. When the artist dies — Heaven forbid, we’re talking about my mother here! — the piece goes up in value, of course, because the artist isn’t producing any more. But the real value of the picture is in its meaning to the client.

Souza: I’ve never seen a home without art, even if it’s just a poster on the wall. Whatever people put on their walls evokes an emotion or tells a history, so you can learn a lot about someone by his art.

Some people buy expensive art to make a statement, even if the art looks weird, like Dali or Frida Carlos.
Carlos, which goes for $1.5 million, is tough, depressing art, but Madonna collects it. It could go up another half million, so it’s a good investment.

But people don’t need megabucks to get into the art market. Dr. Seuss is by far our number-one selling artist and his work is affordable. Our new gallery at the Hotel Del features art both from his books and his “secret art” (paintings that were not exhibited until after his death). His “I Dreamed I Was a Doorman at the Hotel Del” is a fabulous piece! I sold 38 prints over the phone before it was even released. The release price in April was $1500, remaining prints are selling for $2985, and when all 375 are sold out, the cost of buying from a private collector will be even higher. Some artists sell well for a year, then stall. Not Dr. Seuss. Americans love him!

Investing in the art of a new, unknown artist is high-risk. When an artist comes to us directly, we may take their art on consignment. Most of our art comes from reputable publishing companies, who are like the scouts in sports. When they say, “I’m launching this new artist,” we’re interested. You can buy an original in our gallery for, say, $8,000, and it may go up to $40,000 or higher. Or it may simply retain its value. That’s why the wisest investment in art is to buy a piece that you love and want to have in your home.

Lounsbury: There’s no accounting for taste! People buy what they like and what hits them emotionally right then and there. Art is an impulse buy.

Duermeyer: People will bring something to me and ask “Is it really worth framing?” We’re talking sentimental value here. I’ve framed grandchildren’s’ artwork, pictures from magazines and some very odd things. I framed a gorgeous Oriental jacket. I told the owner she should be wearing it, but she wanted to preserve it and it did look beautiful in her home.

CL: What artists do you feature?

Hardman: I carry Picasso and Chagall, plus internationally recognized artists who are still living. Crookston is a wonderful oil painter who has been voted top honors by her peers in the OPA (Oil Painters of America). Emanuel does incredible musical work with acrylic on paper and paints his own frames, creating a fantastic presentation. Hands-down the best seascape artist is Uwe Werner and it’s hard to beat Joyce Benner for florals. We have shipped both these local artists all over the world.

McNary: Sue McNary is our premier artist. After 18 years in the Del, her space was being torn down just as my shop was opening, so I am thrilled to be able to show her work. I show my own photo-impressionism (photographs that look like paintings on canvas). We feature Mary Helmrich from Encinitas; she has some beautiful watercolor images of Coronado. Our art is bright and cheerful, a large pal-ette of colors, not dark and brooding!

Lounsbury: John Yato has been a fixture at Art in the Park and has developed quite a reputation. He sells original and reproduction watercolors of San Diego and Coronado. Uwe Werner does the most beautiful oil oceanscapes of any artist I know. Don Hubbard writes cookbooks, does Japanese art, fish prints, wonderful watercolors.

Souza: Besides Dr. Seuss, we have a Russian artist, Valueva, who is selling well. Her work is suffused with romance and softness. British artist Mackenzie Thorpe’s work revolves around life, family, hope. Michael Parks paints erotic, Greek-like work. Our gallery took a gamble on him 13 years ago when he was unknown and now he’s a big name. Stan Stokes is obsessed with scenes of California from the ‘30s and ‘40s. His painting of the Hotel Del is one of my favorites.

CL: Why is framing important? What are the trends in art and framing?

McNary: We have three rooms of moldings from floor to ceiling. Some people think I’m obsessed with frames! We pull down what’s passé, put up new colors, shapes, finishes, and keep the classics. I have frames that were designed in the 1500s that people still love today, and frames that were designed in 2003. There’s always one frame that will light up the customer’s eyes, a “Eureka! That’s it!” frame.

Framing companies keep up with trends in home décor. People bring in a frame that’s an outdated color and they’re not sure if they want to keep the picture. We’ll re-frame it to match their new interior, and they fall back in love with their art.

Sue McNary says she doesn’t know when to stop painting, so frames provide an extension of her pictures. Most of our customers say “Wow, I love it!” But some don’t. We say they can’t think outside the box.
People buy artwork because they like it, but then it’s gets stuffed under their bed or sits in a packing tube. Get it framed! Then you’ll finally enjoy it.

Duermeyer: The technology of “preservation” framing has improved significantly over the last 20 years. Art that was poorly framed, or framed so long ago it’s being damaged by the materials around it (paper, cardboard and wood contain acid) needs to be re-framed. Standard glass allows pictures to fade, or turn bluish. Today we use UV-tinted glass or lead-free glass that is perfectly clear.

Lounsbury: Framing honors the art. It presents it and enhances it. Great framing can make mediocre art look great.

Hardman: The biggest trend in framing is the advances in conservation techniques. I’m working with
a prominent family in Mexico to re-frame and preserve their entire collection of Chagall and Rivera, and their family photos, all of which were being damaged by old materials.

Frames and the variety of things being framed have become more creative. A customer brought me a bag of tickets to all the baseball games leading up to and including the World Series. I framed them three-dimensionally in the shape of a baseball diamond, which was backlit. I’ve framed a full-size Victorian dress, 300 antique purses, golf balls, even a Stradivarius. I had to take out a million-dollar rider on my insurance policy while that was in the shop! The frame allows viewing of this exquisite violin from every angle, and it’s hinged so the owner can take it out and play it.

Souza: Without a frame, you can’t appreciate the art. Framing is an art form in itself and reflects the soul of the picture. We’ve noticed a trend toward whimsical, upbeat art, and away from landscapes and serious, dark pictures.

CL: What is the best way for people on a budget to begin collecting?

Lounsbury: One way is to buy directly from the artist, especially before he or she is well-known.

McNary: The artists that I carry have established retail prices. There is no added cost to the customer to shop in a gallery. If you’re traveling through Italy or France, art from street vendors is inexpensive, so stock up. My gallery has a layaway plan for people who want an original but don’t have the budget to pay for it all at once. I also offer military and locals discounts. Another tip is to buy art without a frame, or pre-framed art.

People are sometimes surprised at how expensive framing can be. The value is in the design consultation with an experienced and talented framer, and the tools, labor and materials. I feature expensive frames from the top vendors down to inexpensive frames from companies that are trying to make a name for themselves, so we are able to match the customer’s budget.

Souza: The techniques of reproducing originals today have made art affordable to everyone. Good art collecting is no longer the exclusive hobby of the wealthy. We have a collector’s plan, with 10 percent down and free financing for 12 months. If you love a piece, buy it before the artist dies or retires, or the prints sell out.

Hardman: My clients range from four-figure to seven-figure incomes. They all love art. My job is to make sure they can get what they want. We work with our customers to make their art affordable.

CL: What advice do you have on giving art as a gift?

Duermeyer: From a framer’s point of view, it comes under the heading of “don’t give a puppy as a gift.” Art is so personal that unless you just know for sure what someone is coveting, it can be a dangerous mistake. I’ve had to frame some of those!

McNary: We sell a lot of art as gifts — going-away presents, anniversary, something a girlfriend knows her boyfriend wants. Everybody loves a Coronado memory.

Lounsbury: A specific gift for a specific reason, a piece that will evoke a memory, is always appropriate.

Souza: In our family’s appliance business, customers were always in a bad mood because their washing machine had just broken down and they were having to spend money on a new one, which isn’t that much fun. I love my gallery! A couple strolls in relaxed, happy. She sees something she loves, and he buys it for her. Giving art as a gift is intimate, romantic and always brings happy associations.


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Reprinted with permission from Coronado Lifestyle, "the little magazine with the BIG impact."
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