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Show of Hands
Gallery of Fine American Craft
210 Clayton St.
Denver, co 80206
,303-399-0201
showofliandsdenver.com
IN
1983
,
16
ARTISTS PITCHED IN
$400 apiece to open Show of
Hands gallery in Denver.
Woodworker Deb Kncale
was among them, and today she
co-owns the business with
Douglas Brugger, who traded in
a career in corporate retail man-
agement—with the likes of
Banana Republic and Barneys
New Y ork—for the more inti-
mate, inspiring and little-bit-
crazy world of running a gallery.
Show of Hands is fine Ameri-
can craft with a contemporary
flair. Longtime customers and
tourists alike smile as they navi-
gate a labyrinth of color, sophisti-
cation and fine craftsmanship.
The gallery, in the heart of
Denver’s historic Cherry Creek
North shopping district, features
furniture, pottery, home and gar-
den accents, clothing, handbags,
baby items, Judaica, wall art and
jewelry—the top seller. A third
of the pieces are produced in
Colorado.
Kneale handles the books.
Brugger greets customers and
heads up merchandising. They
make buying decisions together.
Left: Deb Kneale
and Douglas Brugger
pride themselves un
the connections they’ve
forged with the dozens
of artists whose work
they carry at Show
of Hands gallery. They
know the makers’
stories; those stories
help connect buyers
with the work and go
“out the door with each
piece,” says Kneale.
What makes Show of Hands
unusual?
Douglas Brugger:
The gallery is
filled with work that people are
not seeing everywhere else.
Deb Kneale:
We know the mak-
ers of this work. W e’ve met
them. We’ve often met their
families. We have been to their
studios sometimes. There’s a
stoiy with each piece, and when
a customer purchases a piece,
that story goes out the door with
them. Take Anna Blake, one of
our jewelers. She’s also a ranch-
er. When she’s not making jew-
elry she’s raising horses. That’s
information people like to know.
We can also tell people how
things were made.
DB:
We forget that when people
come in for the first time, or the
hundredth time, it’s just a “wow”
factor. They’re visually moved.
That is so humbling when you’re
not asking for it.
DK:
It’s a happy place, and
people feel welcome and com-
fortable to come in. W e’ve got a
psychiatrist who comes in rou-
tinely to get away from what
she’s dealing with in her job.
How often do you bring in
new work?
DK:
Daily. Toward the holi-
days, even more so. We try to
promote our local artists. Half
the art in the store is consigned
to us, and those artists switch out
their work continually. That
keeps the store really fresh.
How did your partnership
come together?
DK:
We were down to two
owners here, including me [in
1999]. The other owner—a cou-
ple-wanted to open a B&B in
Glenwood Springs. I knew that
I didn’t want to do this alone.
I had gotten to know Douglas
when he managed the Boulder
Arts & Crafts Gallery.
DB:
I loved Barneys—don’t get
me wrong—but I needed to get
out of corporate life. That short
window with the Boulder co-op
was amazing. There were 40
member-owners [including
Kneale]. I was the go-between
between them and the staff and
business. I had to do four
interviews.
DK:
You almost didn’t get the job
because you interviewed in a suit.
You show artists from around
the country. How do you stay
plugged into craft nationally?
DB:
We’re a part of Craft Re-
tailers & Artists for Tomorrow
[ c r a f t ] .
It partners gallery
owners and artists throughout
the country.
DK:
It’s also our mission to see
that galleries don’t close and that
there’s a succession from one
owner to another. We mentored
Ann Ruhr Pifer, who opened
The Grand Hand in St. Paul, mn,
in 2OO4. -KELLY PATE DWYER
Kelly Pate Dwyer is a Denver-
based freelance writer.
018 american craft dec/jann
Photos Barry Staver (4)
