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The latest gallery to open in downtown Menlo Park has Peninsula roots that go back decades. Gallery House, which had been based in Palo Alto since its founding in 1958, began its move to Menlo Park earlier this spring. The gallery lost the lease on the California Avenue space where it had been located for over two decades. Members closed up their Palo Alto space in March and relocated just a few miles north.
Gallery House opened the doors of its new digs on Menlo Park’s Santa Cruz Avenue on Wednesday, May 22. The cooperative gallery currently features the works of 22 member artists, who work in a variety of media, including painting, mixed-media, digital art, photography, jewelry and sculpture.
This new beginning comes just a little less than a year from when the gallery celebrated its 65th anniversary last June.
The gallery’s new Menlo Park location is a bright, airy space with polished concrete floors — a former furniture store that required pretty significant renovation, according to Peter Koltai, Gallery House board chair. Koltai was on hand for the gallery’s opening day to work the first shift as gallery greeter.
The gallery’s membership numbers diminished slightly over the course of the move, down from 30 members, he said. Each artist receives a roughly 5-foot space on the wall to show two-dimensional pieces such as paintings or photos — pieces by sculptors and jewelry artists receive about the same amount of space, but atop pillars, shelves or inside display cases.
A new addition to Gallery House is a display of sculptures by Zimbabwean artists that will be a regular feature. The aim is to give the artists a new place to market their works, Koltai said.
Gallery House’s new location is within Menlo Park’s design district, close to other art venues such as The Main Gallery, which is also a cooperative gallery, as well as interior design stores.
Koltai noted that the galleries aim to coordinate their receptions, making it easier for visitors to enjoy multiple venues.
Gallery House is planning a grand opening sometime next month, according to fliers posted at the new space.
Gallery House is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday at 826 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park. For more information, visit galleryhouse.art.
