BIGFORK – The idea for Bigfork’s newest downtown gallery, Persimmon Gallery, was hatched at a luncheon with friends that ended in tears.
In December, three Bigfork artists and friends – Jill Gotschalk, Wendy Anderson and Deliah Albee – met for lunch to discuss their careers. Talk turned to marketing and sales, and Gotschalk mentioned that a gallery space, located below her husband’s office in the heart of Bigfork’s Village, was available.
“We wandered down there and went, ‘It’s perfect,’” Gotschalk said. “It still gives me goose bumps thinking about it. Deliah was crying. We were so excited.”
By April, the trio – along with several other local artists – were holding a open house for their artists’ cooperative, Persimmon Gallery.
“It came along very quickly, very organically,” Gotschalk said.
Formerly the Midnight Sun Gallery, the building was already perfectly suited for the artists’ needs. There was well-placed lighting – an expensive feature needed to display art. Partial walls offered natural display spaces. In the back, there was a work area for framing and classroom space to hold watercolor and jewelry-making lessons.
And the location – just across from the Bigfork Summer Playhouse on Electric Avenue – was sure to draw customers off the street.
The artists added new carpets, a fresh coat of paint to brighten the space and displays for the jewelry, pottery and other works.
Instead of renting, Gotschalk bought the building, and the artists decided they needed six shares to afford the rent and utilities. They began recruiting local friends and artisans.
Jewelry artist Signe Ensign was an obvious choice. For two years, Albee and Ensign had been sharing gallery space in the Jewel Basin Building, north of downtown Bigfork off the intersection of Montana Highways 83 and 35.
“We were already really enmeshed, and in a sense married,” Albee said.
Quickly, more artists came on board: Callie Hulslander-Cooper, a Columbia Falls jewelry maker; painter Billie Anderson; and potters Heidi Haugen and Patrice Carbaugh. The cooperative is looking for one more person to hold a half share and round out the bunch.
In addition to this core group, other artists decided to display their work in Persimmon on commission. All of them are local as well.
The result is a wide-ranging collection of works from paintings to pottery with prices that range from $25 to $1,200 for larger pieces.
Ensign describes her jewelry line “icandi” as “bright, fun, funky-oriented.” Along with semiprecious stones and silver, her signature pieces feature real butterflies and flowers preserved in a poly-resin coat. “I see it as preserving nature forever,” Ensign said.
Gotschalk owns a graphic design company that specializes in developing designs and products for zoos, museums, national parks and special events. Her art reflects some of that history; her caricatures of animals are colorful and playful.
There are Albee’s watercolors, realistic flowers that reflect her work as a landscape gardener for several years before painting in their precision and her talent in the technique. Billie Anderson’s floor mats are painted canvases coated with varnish so that they’re nearly indestructible.
Other works include pots, paintings, clay figurines and glasswork.
For all their differences, the artists’ works come together surprisingly well. The gallery itself is bright and cheerful; its pieces give off a sense of planned cohesion. But the owners will assure you it wasn’t planned.
After months of work, the artists came in one day to hang their work. Everything blended. “It was kind of magical,” Albee said. “Maybe it’s our personalities, or we’re attracted to the same colors, who knows? It’s a mystery to me.”
The women say their group has blended smoothly as well, allowing them to remain friends and draw from each other’s talents. More experienced artists have taken on a mentorship role, while their younger counterparts bring energy and fresh eyes to the process.
“I really love these women and trust them,” Albee said. “That makes all the difference.”