A Conversation With Ghost Gallery

Since being founded in 2006, Ghost Gallery has worked to keep all forms of art accessible and attainable to various neighborhoods in Seattle, via galleries, venues, salons, and stores. Since its grand opening in Capitol Hill this past April, the gallery's ever-rotating list of art and events suggests the space is doing its job.

Curator Laurie Kearney was kind enough to answer our questions about the beginnings of Ghost Gallery, and their plans for the future.

We read that before Ghost Gallery had a solid location, it was hosted events in other spaces. What was the transition of shifting venues to one home base like, and why did the transition happen?

I started Ghost Gallery in 2006, with the first show at the Pretty Parlor. I had moved here the year before to get my masters degree in museology, but having been waitlisted at UW. I got impatient, and started curating shows and hosting art events around Seattle. I pretty much jumped in head first, using the name Ghost Gallery since I had no set physical space of my own to exhibit artists' work. The space I'm in now (the former Crawl Space Gallery) came up for rent, and since I was in a kind of limbo (either give it a shot, or go back to working in admin and marketing), I went for it. The experience so far of having a home base has been amazing- there’s a lot of support from friends, family and the neighborhood, so I'm happy to be here and hoping Ghost Gallery keeps growing. I do still curate shows at other venues, mainly Stylus Salon, Solo Bar, and one recently at Havana Social Club. It's so much fun to transform non-traditional spaces into art venues.

How are the artists are chosen, and how long do their pieces stay there?

I have two co-curators, Cait Willis and Justin Smith, that help with artist recruiting (among countless other things: they are invaluable friends and colleagues). Typically we do month-long solo or group shows in the main galleries, then we have an ongoing "Petite Works" nook where we display miniature art on consignment. We've also started offering the gallery for "rent" for short-term, two- to three-day exhibits, in order to bring more artists in and provide some special events for the community.

What are the goals for the gallery in the future? Are there are any artists in particular you'd love to work with, an event or expansion you'd love to have happen?

Right now our main goal is to keep the doors open! It's not news that small businesses are struggling, so we're working on smart marketing to keep us going. I would love to see more local artists in here of course, as well as be able to host exhibits for international artists, and work more closely with surrounding businesses on special events (The Living Room, Artful Dodger Tattoo, etc). We're also talking about utilizing the courtyard out front for outdoor art and installations, which would be a great addition to the space.

Have you had a ghostly encounter worth mentioning, or do you have a favorite ghost story?

Haha, I actually get this question a lot, even though the name Ghost Gallery wasn't meant to target all things "ghost" in particular. I do enjoy being in the same Google searches as "actual" Ghost galleries, Goth sites, Ghost hunting, etc. Given my musical and style taste from years past, this obviously appeals to me. However, I have never had an encounter, and would probably need a lot of whiskey to calm down if I did.

Don't miss the closing exhibit for Andie DeRoux's CURIO: Collected Works Friday September 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery.

Open Wed-Fri 4 pm-8 pm, Sat 12-6 pm, Sun-Thurs by Apppointment @ Olive & Denny Way