Nestled between the upscale eateries, clothing boutiques and tasting rooms that make up Napa’s First Street Plaza is a gallery with nearly three decades of history.
That history, however, was collected during Gallery 1870’s 28-year stay in Yountville. The gallery moved to downtown Napa, opening its doors at 1270 First St. in August. The relocation was prompted by planned renovations to the Yountville location, which would leave the gallery without a home for an extended period.
“There was no space for us,” Gallery 1870 owner Paul Thoren explained.
Thoren — who owns the gallery with his wife, Kathy, and daughter, Kassia Kilgore — said that rather than wait for the original space to be finished the team decided to look around for a new location. The result was a “pleasant space,” Thoren said, located behind the Archer Hotel. The 2,800-square-foot storefront was once home to Tommy Bahama and lululemon.
How the father-daughter team got involved in the art gallery space has a long history of its own. It all happened, Kilgore explained, “by chance.”
Kilgore had an internship with Gallery 1870 while attending UC Davis. The previous gallery owner needed more help and Kilgore suggested her then-retired father. Thoren spent years working in big box retail and when his daughter “needed backup,” he agreed to help out.
And he never left.
“You meet people from all over the world,” Thoren said of his gallery experience. He added that he enjoyed the camaraderie of the arts.
As Kilgore went back to college and pursued other things, Thoren remained at the gallery. And when the previous owners decided to move on, Thoren made the decision to buy Gallery 1870 in 2005. Kilgore returned as co-owner, working side-by-side with her father, surrounded by beautiful works of art.
Now, the pair are prepared to usher in a new history in downtown Napa. With it, the gallery’s tagline was updated to “Fine Art Napa” to differentiate the new iteration of the gallery from its roots in Yountville. The number 1870 reflects the historic building that once housed the gallery — the V Marketplace, which was built in 1870.
Gallery 1870—Fine Art Napa features works from about 25 different artists with a range of specialties. Most artists are from the Napa Valley, but others are based in other parts of Northern California. Many of the artists have been with the gallery for over 20 years.
“Many of them are like family to us,” Kilgore said.
Turning the previous retail space into a gallery was easier than one might think. Thoren explained that the only real addition to the space was the vertical grid walls used to display paintings throughout. It was a very quick turnaround creating the new Gallery 1870, Thoren indicated.
Asked whether the entire collection was on display, Thoren laughed.
“There is no gallery that has enough walls,” he said, noting that many of the pieces were in storage.
What is on display is an “exciting mix of contemporary fine art,” according to the gallery’s website. Kilgore gave a tour of the collection during a recent visit, starting from the front entrance and turning right. This was to mimic the typical flow of traffic in the gallery, she said.
The works — all of which are available for sale — include the hyper-realistic watercolor wine bottles of Eric Christensen. Kilgore called him a “master of reflection,” referring to the wine glasses glistening in Christensen’s “Worth the Wait.”
On a nearby wall, the contemporary realism of Gail Chandler offers a new take on some familiar items. Many of Chandler’s paintings showcase stacks of books and cooking instruments. Kilgore spoke of “The Games of Life,” a stack of board games representing different phases of life — The Dating Game and Newlywed Game among them, along with Candyland and Trouble. The games, Kilgore pointed out, have different stages of wear and tear. The corner of Operation is held together by Scotch tape.
One of the gallery’s newest artists, Vaso Peritos of San Francisco, uses various pour techniques and movements of the canvas to create vibrant imagery. Kilgore noted Vaso embraces a mixed-media approach, using coffee beans and salt among other things on some pieces.
While Gallery 1870 features a mix of art styles, there is also variation among the artists themselves.
The gallery is home to numerous “Mouseterpieces” by Patrick O’Rourke that feature mice in different scenarios, enjoying themselves often with a wine and cheese pairing. This whimsical series, which Kilgore said is very popular, looks a lot different than O’Rourke’s collection of romantic realism, which is also on display on the other side of the gallery. This series touts highly-textured acrylic landscapes. The oak of “Autumn Oak” is a perfect example of this. The trunk is so detailed one can imagine exactly what it feels like without ever touching it.
“Artists don’t like to be locked into one thing,” Kilgore explained. “They like to change things up.”
Gallery 1870—Fine Art Napa is located at 1270 First St., behind the Archer Hotel in downtown Napa. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday—Monday and Tuesdays by appointment. For more information, visit gallery1870.com.
