Currents Gallery

Tell​ ​us​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​about​ ​your​ ​business:  What​ ​does​ ​your​ ​business​ ​offer,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​long have​ ​you​ ​been​ ​around?​ ​ 

Currents Gallery, an artist owned art gallery, was opened in July, 2005. Seven artists now own the Gallery. We offer a vast array of locally made artwork, from paintings and sculptures to fabric art, clocks, carved gourds, and jewelry (We represent about 70 artists from throughout the Willamette Valley). We also offer a great variety of art classes.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work?  How did your business get started?

The artists who started the Gallery had all been creating art for several years, and wanted an outlet to sell their work. We took over a space that had been an Art Gallery, but that was closing.

Tell​ ​us​ ​a​ ​couple​ ​things​ ​you​ ​are​ ​proud​ ​of​ ​about​ ​your​ ​business.​ ​  What​ ​are​ ​you known​ ​for?​ ​What​ ​separates​ ​you​ ​from​ ​the​ ​competition?​ ​

We are very proud of the variety of art found in our Gallery- every customer should be able to find something of interest. We totally rehang the gallery every month, and feature different artists and type of work, so the Gallery always feels fresh and new, even to repeat customers. All of our owners are knowledgeable about all kinds of art, so we can discuss art, and how it is created, with all our customers. We are a warm, friendly gallery with reasonably priced amazing art.

What is your favorite part of running this business?

I like being a business owner, and successfully assisting artists to sell their work, as well as being able to sell my own. I enjoy talking about art with our customers, and being surrounded by beautiful art as I work.

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?

Our ideal customer is interested in viewing and talking about art, and even better, someone who wants to buy something beautiful.

Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you’d like to mention?

We participate in McMinnville’s monthly art walk, which is the official opening of the featured show each month.

During November and December (the holiday season), we feature giftable art (so there is something in the budget of everyone who wants to give the gift of art).

We also help raise funds for Give A Little Foundation, a McMinnville based non-profit. Give a Little (GAL) solicits lightly used, good quality, jewelry. When people donate this jewelry, we sell it for GAL, and they use the funds to give small donations to local people in need. GAL jewelry is always for sale in one of our jewelry cases.

Is there any other information you’d like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?

Our customer service is very strong, and we strive to make the customer experience great for everyone. We do layaway to make buying art easier, and we have a beautiful classroom with great lighting where we teach many fun and interesting art classes. We are unfortunately closed now, due to the Corona virus, but we have a lot of our work for sale through our website www.currentsgallery.com. We will reopen as soon as Governor Brown says that it is safe to do so.

How​ ​do​ ​you​ ​see​ ​your​ ​business​ ​growing​ ​and​ ​improving​ ​over​ ​the​ ​next​ ​couple​ ​of years?​ ​

We are always aiming for the highest quality of artists and classes, and investing money into and improving our space. We want and intend to be a world class gallery.