The Mistress of the Gallery sets sail for a final time.
Since the mid nineties the gallery has been blessed with a couple of mistresses who intervened often giving a well needed break from daily activities.
Both were Shields 30's, Matisse, born in Massachusetts and Sien, born in Florida were both the most beautiful sailboats on the lake and a pleasure to sail.
While age often affords more time, it doesn't always allow for the extra energy and better knees, so it was time to let the girls go.
Matisse moved on in the mid 2000's to the University of California Irvine and their sailing club. Sien, named for Vincent van Gogh's mistress, the last in line and now resides at the north end of the lake with a beautiful new home and private moorage.
It was sad to Sien go, but I am sure there are new adventures around the corner for the gallery and staff.
Kirkland's Newest Sculpture "Windward" by Troy Pillow
On this morning's walk into the Gallery I caught Kathy Feek admiring one of her finished projects! Troy Pillow was a previous gallery artist with us and one of our favorites. What a great addition to Kirkland's Art Community.
Unveiling Windward, a sculpture to commemorate the Community Foundation was at David E Brink Park on Lake Street May 27, 2026.
Unveiling Windward
Join us in-person for the unveiling of Windward, a stunning sculpture created to commemorate the founding of the Kirkland Community Foundation. This event is all about celebrating our community's creative spirit and the vision of KCF's founders. Come see the new landmark up close, meet fellow community-minded art lovers, and be part of a special moment that honors our shared history. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to connect and appreciate art together!
Gunnar Nordstrom Fine Arts and La Petite Galerie are Selected to Exhibit the Photography of May Pang during the celebrated "Lost Weekend" with John Lennon.
May Pang will present her rare and intimate photographs of John Lennon during a special three-day exhibition at La Petite Galerie and Gunnar Nordstrom Fine Arts.
The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang
Friday, August 7 – Sunday, August 9
(May Pang’s attendance schedule will be announced soon.)
Admission is free, with opportunities to meet May Pang in person and purchase collectible limited-edition photographs.
Throughout the weekend, May Pang will meet collectors and fans, sharing personal stories behind these extraordinary images captured during one of the most fascinating and creative periods of Lennon’s life.
Exhibition Overview
The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang features candid and deeply personal photographs of John Lennon taken during his celebrated “Lost Weekend” period (1973–1975), an 18-month chapter marked by remarkable artistic productivity following the breakup of The Beatles.
The exhibition includes rare images of Lennon at Disney World, relaxing with friends, and documenting historic moments — including the signing of the agreement dissolving The Beatles and one of the last known photographs of Lennon together with Paul McCartney.
All works in the exhibition will be available for purchase.
This special exhibition coincides with the digital release of the acclaimed documentary film The Lost Weekend: A Love Story, exploring the relationship between Lennon and Pang during this pivotal era.
Also Avallable on Tubi
See you in the Funny Papers
My mother would always say to me, "See you in the Funny Papers" — and alas, she finally did! On Mother's Day, May 13, 2001, The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery appeared in a wonderful 3-panel Sunday edition of the comic strip Ziggy by Tom Wilson.
We are never too stuffy to help you find exactly what you are looking for at The Gunnar Nordstrom Gallery.
Check out Ziggy's book Ziggy Goes to Hollywood, which features many of his successful comic strips — and yes, we made the cut. See page 114!
Many thanks for the great plug, our friend Tom Wilson, Tom Wilson II, and Debbie Tomassi for our inclusion in comic history!
Why Art Galleries are Important
By Jason Landry
Why Art Galleries are Important!
By Jason Landry. - The Huffpost
"Merde! I absolutely detest all openings and parties! They're commercial, political and everybody talks too much. They get on my tits!"
~Joan Miró
The gallery model, as we know it, is flawed. Dramatic changes have affected how we view, experience and acquire art. Does anyone else see this, and if so, are you concerned with it?
People used to get excited to go to a gallery, meet an artist in person and experience a work of art. Now, with almost every image an artist makes available on the internet, more people can view the work online and decide if they like it enough to leave their house to visit the gallery, or attend the opening reception, or just stay in to watch another night of reality television. I guess there is also the flip side: maybe the artist sees marketing the work to a critical mass over the web beneficial to their career. Or maybe it's the collector who would like to see the work online first to get a sense of what they might want to acquire. What's really driving this art market -- artists, collectors, galleries? We'll save the answer to that question for another post.
Artists and dealers know that art must be experienced in person to truly get a sense of its magnitude -- it's the outsiders who don't get that. This is another benefit of visiting an art gallery. Viewing artwork on the Internet is like walking by a gallery on a rainy night and wiping the fog from the glass to get a peek. You think you can see the art but there is a barrier obscuring your vision -- distance from the actual art piece can distort your perception, and not being able to see how a work of art hangs or is displayed next to or near other works of art -- that can be an issue too. We'd hate for you to finally take delivery of your newest conversation piece just to find out it doesn't fit where you wanted it, or the color clashes too much with your chartreuse drapes. Most art is non-refundable.
The gallery used to be a place to go to meet up with friends and exchange ideas and build community. Patrons and students alike would come to see a show and then talk about it with their peers the next day. The arts community has grown to be less real and more superficial because of things like social media and sites like Facebook. With all the good that social media does as a marketing tool for galleries, artists and the arts as a whole, it also removes something from the art world equation: community.
Galleries are one such place to build a community -- a real, true social network -- your art ecosystem, and that is important. It's been this way forever. Warm body introductions are important. Social networks on the internet are okay to rack up followers or friends, but a great quote that I read in the book The Start-Up of You by Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn states, "There is a big difference between being the most connected person and being the best connected person." My network came from the schools that I attended, but also through the artists, collectors, patrons, mentors, educators, curators and publishers that I bumped into at gallery openings and other art-related events along the way. Now that I am an art dealer, I don't get out to openings like I did in the past. When I happened to go to a recent First Friday's gallery event in Boston, it was great to run into old friends. It reminded me of what I love about the arts and I will stress it here again: the community.
Fact: There is definitely a different experience meeting someone in person, rather than just looking at their photograph on a website. Just ask the thousands who think they have found their soul mate on sites like Match.com, and then realize they look nothing like their picture when they finally meet up for a date. The same goes true for looking at and experiencing a piece of art in a gallery. Before you click that 'buy' button on one of those online websites that sell art, go visit and support your local art galleries and experience what can happen. You may just be surprised at what you see, whom you meet, and what you will learn.
Support your Art Ecosystem
Experience and Buy Art in Person
Serving Collectors since 1985
Congratulations
Congratulations to Jaime Ellsworth for her inclusion into "100 Artists of the Northwest" by E. Ashley Rooney.
The works of 100 contemporary artists interpret and provide a fresh look at the artistic vibrancy of the Northwest region of the United States. The States of Oregon and Washington are rich with artists, having become vital art scenes in the past several decades. Using sculpture, glass, oil, clay, wood and, other contemporary mediums, as well as paint these 21st century artists combine, redesign and transform their materials into pieces of art that change the way we perceive both the regions of the Northwest and the world.
With a guide to galleries, sculpture parks, museums and schools, this book is a wonderful resource for lovers of all art and mediums.
E. Ashley Rooney, of Lexington, Massachusetts has written several art books; this being her fifth in the "100 Artists" series. She has established a solid reputation for her architectural, design, and historical works.
Impressionist Art's Comeback In The Market and Art World
Market rebound
According to the 2026 Art Basel & UBS Art Market Report, auction sales of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works rose 47% last year, reversing several years of decline ARTnews.com. This uptick comes alongside a broader shift in collector preferences, as buyers are rediscovering the appeal of established artists whose reputations are settled. The rebound is part of a wider trend where “old masters” and historical styles are gaining traction as the ultra-contemporary art market cools.
Why the revival?
* Provenance and prestige: Impressionists like Monet, Renoir, and Degas have enduring reputations, making their works attractive to collectors seeking timeless value.
* Aesthetic appeal: Their focus on light, color, and spontaneity continues to resonate with audiences.
* Market diversification: As speculative contemporary art sales fall, collectors are turning to historically significant works for stability.
Check out our Pieter JL van Veen