z o o m
S h o p T a l k
C o n s t a n t I n
f l u
x
Q u ir k G a lle r y
3 11W . B ro ad St.
R ich m o n d , V A 23220
804-644-5450
q u irkgallerv.com
Left:
Robin Kranitzky
and Kim Overstreet
A u R e v o ir
brooch, 2010
wood, acrylic, acetate,
cloth, paper, brass,
copper, silver, shells,
repurposed objects
3.25 x3 x1m .
Far left:
Laura Wood
P a p er E a rrin g s,
2011
cast paper, encaustic
wax, thread, acrylic,
sterling silver
3.5 x 2.5 x 2 in. each
Below (from left): Diana
Mathews, Katie Ukrop,
and Maggie Smith.
B E F O R E Q U IR K G A L L E R Y T O O K
it o v e r in 2005, the unassum ing
bu ild in g on the w este rn edge
o f d o w n to w n R ich m o n d , V ir -
ginia, had had a run o f previo u s
uses, in clu d in g as a hard w are
sto re, a sta tio n ery w h olesaler,
beer distribu tor, and, m ost
recen tly, an artist-studio “ squat.”
A s is o fte n the case w ith such
a p ro gressio n , the b u ild in g had
fallen in to disrepair - alth ou gh
w ith an argu ably artistic b en t,
including a tree g r o w in g through
th e skyligh t.
T h e tree is lo n g sin ce gon e
(apparen tly it didn’t m eet cod e),
bu t th e g a lle ry con tin u es the
bu ild in g’s artistic and, dare w e
say it, q u irk y le ga cy , thanks to a
m ix o f fine art, fine cra ft, D I Y ,
and production pieces from local,
region al, n atio n al, and in tern a-
tion al sources, alon g w ith a
ro tatin g e xh ib itio n area and
w o rk sh o p s op en to the public.
W e to u red the airy space
w ith g a lle ry d irecto r K a tie
U k ro p , ga lle ry m anager D ian a
M a th e w s, and exh ib ition s
m anager M a g g ie Sm ith.
W h y did y o u lo ca te h ere?
K a tie U k ro p : T h is w as an up-
an d -com in g area. T h e F irst
F rid ay s art w a lk started here,
and there w e r e alread y fo u r or
five galleries w h e n w e m o ved
in. O u r m ission w a s to h ave a
ga lle ry th at w as a little m ore
approach able fo r all ages.
S o th a t w id e -o p e n vis io n w a s
a p rim a r y d riv e r?
M a g g ie Sm ith: W h e n I started
h ere, I d u g through the files, and
the thing that stuck w ith m e m ost
from th e m ission statem en t w as
“ art fo r e v e r y o n e .” W e w a n ted
the w h o le c ity to be c o m fo r t-
able around all kinds o f art.
A n d y o u ’v e b e e n able to g e t
th a t m e ssa ge ou t?
K U : W e ll, w ith Q u irk R e p r e -
sents [a collection o f art jew elry ]
it w as a little hard at first.
T h e r e ’s d efin itely an art je w e lry
group in to w n that kn o w s and
understands the craft, bu t w e ’re
basically the o n ly ven u e around
that specializes in it.
W e had to explain to people
outside that group w h y the te c h -
niques and m aterials m ade this
je w e lr y an y d iffe re n t from w h a t
th ey m ight find at, say, F orever2i
- e sp ecially sin ce p eop le can
find k n o c k o ffs o f art je w e lr y
at F o re ve r2 i.
W h a t ’ s y o u r re la tio n sh ip
w ith lo ca l a r tists?
K U : O u r shop has exp a n d ed
because there’s such a w ealth o f
local artists; w e ’re co n sta n tly
ge ttin g subm issions. Sin ce V C U
[V irgin ia C o m m o n w e a lth U n i-
v e rsity ] has such an im portan t
art sch o o l, p e o p le start here,
b u t o fte n m o ve on [w h en th e y
grad u ate]. T h a t’s b e e n grea t for
us, b ecau se th e y ’re alw a ys find-
in g n e w artists fo r us to feature.
B u t w e also go to craft
sh o w s. W e m et Jillian M o o r e
at S o c ie ty o f N o r th A m erica n
G old sm ith s years ago; w e m et
Ju stin R o th sh a n k at the B alti-
m ore A m erica n C r a ft C o u n cil
sh o w . D ia n a and I g o to the
N e w Y o r k g ift sh o w and find
artists in the handm ade section .
I w o u ld n eve r skip on e o f
th o se sh o w s - e ven th o u gh th e y
m igh t b e the sam e p eop le w e
see e v e r y ye a r, y o u n eve r k n o w
w h a t th eir w o r k w ill b e like.
A n d even th o u gh w e could
alw a ys c o n ta ct the artist
th rou gh their w e b site , it’s
really im p o rtan t to actu ally
m eet th e artist.
H o w are y o u d o in g fin a n cia lly ?
K U : Sales are up about 10 p er-
cen t from last ye a r; our online
business is d oin g e sp ecially w ell.
Y o u do h a v e som e pro d u ctio n
w o r k in h ere. W h a t ’ s th e m ix ,
and w h y do y o u in clu d e it?
K U : W e tr y to stick to h an d-
m ade and A m erica n and fair
trade; it’s about 70 p ercen t
h an dm ade, 30 p ercen t p ro d u c-
tion p ieces. A n d w e ’re p re tty
p ic k y about w h a t w e include.
O n e ad van tage is th at this kin d
o f w o r k o fte n has lo w price
poin ts, so if people com e in on
a F irst F rid a y , th e y can take
som eth in g hom e w ith them that
th e y like - and com e b a ck later
to lo o k at han dm ade w o rk .
O b v io u s ly , y o u h a v e a g r e a t
p ip elin e from th e stu d io cra ft
w o r ld . D o y o u in clu d e a n y art-
is ts fro m th e in d ie -c ra ft w o r ld ?
D ian a M a th e w s: W e rely m ore
h e a v ily on studio craft, b u t w e
h ave b o th . W e like th at Q u irk
can do both .
F in a lly , w h a t ’ s w ith th e n am e?
K U : O h , it’s a lo n g sto ry - bu t
w e ’re h a p p y w ith it. It lets us
be w h o w e w a n t to be.
-J U D Y A R G IN T E A N U
J u d y A r g in t e a n u i s a f r e e la n c e
w r i t e r a n d
A m erica n C r a ft
’s
c o p y e d it o r .
040
american craft feb/maris
E a rrin g s
photo: Laura W ood /
A u R e v o ir
photo: Courtesy of the artists / Portrait: Aimee Koch Grindon
