Kirkland has positioned itself as a major arts community because - among other reasons - there are a large number of art galleries in the city. There used to be more just a few years ago.
But that doesn't mean Kirkland is losing its arts edge, according to owners of several galleries that have persevered in the face of a changing economy and a decline in tourism following 9/11.
"People were not only not going anywhere (after the terrorist attacks), they were afraid to spend money," said Pat Howard from the Howard/Mandville Gallery. She also points to another, earlier factor in the shrinking number of arts outlets. "I'd say it started with the earthquake," Howard said of the 2001 Nisqually temblor.
A lot of businesses, hers included, suffered damages in the quake, and that proved to be a big distraction for potential customers, she added. Then the dot.com bust combined with the terrorist attacks in America to make life even more difficult for merchants of all sorts. "It's kind of a boom, boom effect," Howard said.
"Certainly, there has been a lot been a lot of galleries around the city that have had trouble surviving," she allowed. "It really doesn't have that much to do with Kirkland per se."
Small Kirkland businesses in general have also had a rough go of it, and some have set up shop, only to fold rather quickly, Howard noted. "The economic downturn over the last four years really made it difficult for all new businesses without existing customer bases ...."
Gallery Owners Association President Patricia Rovzar agrees. "I'm troubled that a lot of businesses have closed in Kirkland, not just the galleries," she said. "What happened to all the galleries is what happened to the gift stores and the restaurants."
Rents for commercial properties started going up in 200l, Rovzar said of one example of the problems facing businesses in the city. "One thing Kirkland is lacking right now is an influx of tourism," she added.
One reason for that is an impression that parking downtown in Kirkland is a hassle, according to Rovzar. Illustrating the point, she said people expect it will be difficult to find a parking place in Seattle and that they'll have to pay for it. By contrast, she said, people expect parking to be not only accessible, but free, in Eastside cities such as Kirkland.
Overall business climate aside, Rovzar acknowledged that the gallery sector has taken a hit. "I think it topped out at about 15," she said of the number of galleries in Kirkland at one time. "Most of them opened during the height of the dot.com boom." Now there's only eight, Rovzar said.
Gunnar Nordstrom has also noticed a downturn in business at his gallery from what it used to be. "The economy has beat us all up over the last four years," is how he put it.
Nordstrom blames part of his financial mugging on fewer tourists visiting the city, but he echoes Rovzar's complaint about the amount galleries pay for space. "Rents have become an increasing hurdle," Nordstrom said.
Still, the fewer galleries, the less competition there is, and that makes a difference to his bottom line. "Certainly there's only so many arts dollars out there," he noted.
Nordstrom is cautiously optimistic about the future of his art business, though. "It's not booming, I'll tell you that," he conceded. "But my year (so far) has been better than it has been in five years."
Howard has seen a similar increase in business. "We're gradually climbing back up," she said. Rovzar, for her part, is even more upbeat about the Kirkland gallery business. "Several of us are doing quite well," she said. For example, Rovzar added, one of her customers bought $50,000 worth of artwork from her just a few days before she was interviewed for this story.
It was a Bellevue woman who had checked out the available art on the gallery's Web site, Rovzar said. The Worldwide Web has proved to be a potent marketing tool for her gallery, she added. "Not only artwork, but any good business has a presence on the Internet." Both Howard and Nordstrom said they pick up business on their Web sites as well.
The Gallery Owners Association also helps the marketing effort for its members by co-op advertising at both local and national levels, Rovzar said. "The galleries in general are the biggest advertisers in the Kirkland downtown core," she added.
"We have clients all over the place," Rovzar said. "We do ship a lot of artwork out of Kirkland," she said of 25 to 30 percent of her sales.
The gallery business may not be what it once was in Kirkland, but the city is still viewed as an art center, according to Nordstrom. "I think people are still looking at it like that," he said.
For example, Nordstrom noted, enough money was raised in six months to buy the last three sculptures on loan from Bill Ballantine (see story on Page 7). Rovzar conceded that times have been better for the gallery business in the city. "But I think Kirkland is still an arts community," she said.
Bill Vadino, president of the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and former head of the Kirkland Downtown on the Lake group, agrees. "Galleries are subject to supply and demand," he conceded.
But Vadino points to the purchase of the Ballantine sculptures, along with the existence of the Kirkland Performance Center and the Kirkland Arts Center, as proof the city has solid aesthetic credentials. "We're still an arts town," he said.
Staff reporter Russ Zabel can be reached at rzabel@nwlink.com or (206) 461-1309.[[In-content Ad]]
