BY CINDY HVAL FOR THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The newest gallery in Spokane’s West End Arts District is a dream come true for owners Kelly Baker and Chelsea Cordova.
Opened in July, the Front Room Art Gallery invites guests to explore a place where art
feels like home. When Baker and Cordova met, they discovered they shared a secret wish.
“We both dreamed of having a gallery,” said Cordova. Their extensive backgrounds in the arts provided a wealth of complementary experiences.
In a career spanning more than a quarter-century, Baker has shaped the arts across the country – from the curatorial department at Washington, D.C.’s Corcoran Gallery to fine art licensing in New York and commercial photography teams in the Bay Area.
Cordova is an arts professional with more than 20 years of experience across the arts sector in North Idaho. Her career includes classroom teaching, nonprofit arts administration, and nearly 10 years of gallery operations, most recently with Art Spirit Gallery in Coeur d’Alene.They found the perfect place for their new venture in the Kolva Sullivan building, around the corner from Barrister Winery and next door to Trackside Ceramics. “Everything seemed to fall into place,” Cordova said. “We wanted the gallery to have a comfortable feeling, and this space fits that idea.”
A bright yellow door welcomes visitors to the commercial gallery showcasing contemporary artwork by Northwest artists. “We represent 23 artists currently and will top out at 30,” she said. “We feature one to three artists per show.”
Their goal is to help their artists grow and develop their audience. “We want to curate, promote, and sell work by excellent artists in an approachable, welcoming setting,”Baker said.
For her, the best part of owning a gallery is watching the artists and the community connect with each other and with the art.
“I enjoy seeing people interested and engaged in learning about our regional artists and embracing them,” she said. “Our range of art adds a new layer of audiences.”
At the heart of the Front Room, a small space features a selection of work by gallery artists including ceramics, paintings, jewelry and textiles. A sofa invites guests to linger and ponder the works.
“We call it the salon,” Baker said. “People can see what the art is like to live with. You can imagine how it will look in your own space.”
Their backgrounds enable them to offer professional advising on an individual level.
“It’s personalized,” she said.
In November, the Front Room Art Gallery will celebrate scale in all its forms with “Grand Gestures, Small Wonders,” featuring work by Spokane artist Renée Oberdorf alongside a Small Works show by a select group of gallery artists.
Oberdorf is a Spokane-based mixed media artist. She holds a Master of Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture. She describes her large abstract paintings as balancing spontaneity, structure, and layered history. Working with acrylic, collage and drawing media, she builds richly textured surfaces and bold fields of color where gesture, erosion and revision remain visible.
The small works contrast intimately to some of Oberdorf’s large canvases, and they also make unique seasonal gifts.
The Front Room isn’t the only gallery Baker and Cordova are involved with.
Following the death of Marshall Peterson, owner of Marmot Art Space in Kendall Yards, they agreed to manage the small gallery.
Both hope area residents will experience art as part of their daily lives.
“I feel like if we build it, they will come,”Baker said. “We’ve had a great welcome in the West End Arts District – there’s a lot of room for growth.”
Cordova agreed.
“It’s kind of an urban legend that people in Spokane don’t buy art,” she said. “But the Front Room isn’t just for art buyers – everyone is welcome. Come in, have a cup of tea and spend some time.”
Contact Cindy Hval at cindyhval@gmail. com.
IF YOU GO
‘Grand Gestures, Small Wonders’
WHAT: Works by Renée Oberdorf and small works by Front Room artists
WHEN: Oberdorf’s works on display Nov. 6-27, small works on display
through Dec. 23.
OPENING RECEPTION: 4-8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Front Room Art Gallery, 115 S. Adams St., Suite 6
HOURS: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday
ONLINE: www.frontroomartgallery.com
