Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
Jeannie Fitzsimons in her Showcase gallery in Glen Ellen.
The hamlet of Glen Ellen is a bit more colorful these days with the opening of Showcase Gallery. Opened in July in a one-story wooden building next to the historic Chauvet Hotel property, the gallery is the inspiration of Jeannie Fitzsimons, a vibrant woman with an enthusiastic appreciation for fine art.
The gallery currently features the works of local artists, including internationally known cartoonist, painter and humor writer Linus Maurer and Archie Horton, whose drawings and paintings illustrate much of Glen Ellen’s history, as well as an eclectic representation of artists from Sonoma county.
Fitzsimons first visited Glen Ellen nearly ten years ago with a friend. After dining at the original girl & the fig restaurant, they strolled over to a vintage clothing store (located in the building that would become home to the Showcase Gallery), where she purchased a coat. “We always referred to it as my ‘good luck’ coat, and the building as that ‘good luck’ building,” said Fitzsimons. “Ten years later, I moved from Novato to Sonoma and began to look for a place to open a gallery. The building we’re now in was being used as a staging area for construction workers renovating the Chauvet Hotel. I approached the owner and asked about renting part of it, and ended up getting the whole building, so it was truly my ‘good luck’ building.”
During the intervening ten years, Fitzsimons worked with start-up biotech and technology companies, assisting with organizational and executive support from start-up through IPO phase. Two years ago, she started a limousine company with one of her objectives to do art tours as well as wine and food. She ended up selling the limousine company, but retained the interest in art, redefining her goals and deciding to open a gallery in Sonoma.
During the three-month cleaning and painting project to transform the building from construction site to gallery, Fitzsimons sought out local artists and started her roster with Linus Maurer. Maurer was a friend and sometimes collaborator of Charles Schulz, who named his Linus cartoon character after Maurer. Displayed at the Showcase Gallery are a number of his paintings and a variety of early original sketches and cartoons. “It took some time to assemble the right group of artists who all brought a similar energy and spirit to the gallery,” said Fitzsimons. “We now have eight artists who each have very different perspectives and approaches to art, but get along like a family.”
The gallery’s center-of-town location has turned it into something of a community crossroads, with townspeople stopping by to pass the time of day at the bistro tables in front of the building. Thursday through Sunday it is open until 9 p.m., late enough to accommodate the occasional artist appearance or wine and cheese reception. Fitzsimons plans to open the back patio soon, so that artists can create their works outdoors and people can gather to observe. “There’s no pressure here and it’s not an intimidating atmosphere,” she said. “This is a place where everybody gets to enjoy the art in their own way and share their thoughts and ideas with each other.”
Currently on display at Showcase Gallery are works by Archie Horton, Mike Alderucci, Katherine Greene, Richard Ellman, Martin Ibanes, Pamela Leotta-Wallace, Frank Edward Lopez, Linus Maurer, Patrick McMurtry and Todd West.
Showcase Gallery is open 12 noon – 9 p.m. Thurs. – Sun. and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday at 13758 Arnold Dr., Glen Ellen; 707.935.3513.
