Hobart Galleries - Press Releases
393 Main Street - Ferndale, CA 95536 - 707-786-9259http://hobartgalleries.com
December 4, 2007
Even a Fire Can't Shut them Down: Hobart Galleries has New Owners
November 25, 2007: Ferndale residents were roused by the fire siren last night for a call on 393 Main Street, a Landmark building which contains Hobart Galleries, Studio and Museum. Firefighters quickly took care of the chimney fire which exploded over Hobart's Studio; then spent the next half hour squeezing through passages and tunnels created by the eccentric artist to connect the studio with "the secret room" and other locations.
While they were inspecting, the contract for sale was being signed and the new owners rushed across Fernbridge at the call of Susie Goff, who had been Hobart's caretaker in his last year and was still resident in the apartment at the time of the fire. Susie's quick actions are credited for getting the fire department out quickly as well as calling to get keys to historic doors to prevent any unnecessary damages.
Generations of Humboldt residents have visited the Galleries and toured the upstairs studio and museum and future ones will be able to have the same experience.
Two Ferndale residents have purchased the oldest art galleries in Humboldt County, California from the heir of the estate. Hobart Galleries was founded in 1962 by Hobart Ray Brown (1934-2007), an American sculptor and visionary artist, originally in Eureka and Trinidad, later moving to its current location 393 Main Street, Ferndale, California in 1963 at the urging of leading citizen Viola Russ McBride.
Hobart Galleries has represented over 150 local artists over the past forty-five years, the oldest of whom, Helen Vatcher of McKinleyville, is still represented by the gallery. Ms. Vatcher said, "Hobart encouraged me to paint, and was the first to show my work at his Galleries." She was the featured artist at Hobart Galleries northern location in Eureka in 1967, and discussed in an article by George Ramos in "NorthCoast Outdoors," March, 10, 1967. Her stark winter trees, carefully built of layer upon layer of pigment, take time to grow and develop, much the same way as the North Coast landscapes she so delicately captures with a brush and a palette knife.
Other artists represented at the present time include the estate of Hobart Brown, Al Jokula, Tedda Smith, Curtis Otto, Marjorie Trott, Justin Hobart Brown, with the odd piece by a who's who of California artists from the early 1960s to the present. The gallery is famous for creative Halloween parties, as well as being where the Kinetic Sculpture Race was founded in 1968 when Jack Mays, seeing the "Pentacycle" contraption Hobart had made, challenged him to a race down Main Street on Mother's Day 1968. The race has run every year since, 2008 will be the 40th running.
Hobart Galleries is open 365 days of the year except for brief emergencies, which are posted, and can be opened for viewing at any reasonable hour by calling 707-407-6660. There is no charge to enter the gallery and many interesting pieces of memorabilia are on sale in the "kinetic room" towards the rear of the first floor in addition to the incredible display of art and kinetic machines including the Pentacycle and the Police Car. Hobart Galleries will continue to be, as it always has been, a sponsor of the Grand Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race, which will celebrate its 40th running in 2008.
A chimney fire on Saturday November 24 caused more panic than damage, although the upstairs is a little smoky and needs some attention before the upstairs studio and museum can be reopened for daily tours; however individual tours may be made by arrangement, either at the gallery or by calling 707-407-6660 for an appointment. Gallery tours are $1.00 per person.
The new owners are husband and wife although they have different last names.
- Ken Mierzwa, 52, who is an environmental designer and project manager for Winzler and Kelly in addition to being the world's expert on a species of dragonfly so rare it was believed extinct until its rediscovery. Ken's work includes a project which creates new habitat for the dragonfly while permitting the construction of a six-lane tollway bridge over their fragile seeps and springs in the Cal-Sag of Illinois. Ken is also on Ferndale's City Council and has worked actively on the sewer plant and Salt River issues.
- Ellin Beltz, 51, is best known for her best selling book "Frogs: Inside their Remarkable World" published by Firefly Press of Toronto, Canada in 2005. She's even been called "the fabulous Frog Lady of Ferndale" by well-known writer Amy Stewart, and has recently recorded a national podcast on frogs from outside her Ferndale home. Since moving to Humboldt County, she volunteered for the Kinetic Sculpture Race racking up an impressive list of Kinetic Titles including: Princess and Racer (2007), Racer (2006), Race Administrator (2006-2002), Kinetic Seer (2002) and has raced in Corvallis, Oregon, visited races and racers in Port Townsend, Washington, and Baltimore, Maryland (story in NorthCoast Journal), as well as Perth, Australia.
Ellin and Ken spent a month as guests of Hobart Brown at the Leeuwin Wine Estates, Margaret River, Western Australia where they photographed Hobart's Australian sculptures and met many of his collectors from Down Under. Ellin has apprenticed to Hobart in welding and art from 2002 to 2007 and has worked intimately with Hobart on his sculptures from 2003 to the present.
When asked whether the new owners intended to make sweeping changes to the Galleries, Ellin paraphrased Hobart and replied, "Nothing that does not need to be changed will be changed and thus everything will stay the same except for those things which will be different."
Visit or Contact Hobart Galleries
|
Google Map | Hobart Galleries Home Page 393 Main Street Ferndale, CA 95536 707-786-9259 Updated: January 1, 2008 |