Durango’s Sorrel Sky Gallery is adding a third address to its roster, and this one’s east of here.
The Main Avenue-based fine art gallery, which also has a location in Santa Fe, is setting up shop in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Gallery owner Shanan Campbell said she has wanted to open a third location for a while, but couldn’t find the right spot. Turns out, it was simply a matter of geography and a desire to get to visit one of her sons more often.
If you go
WHAT: Sorrel Sky gallery Grand Opening in New York.
WHEN: 5-8 p.m. EST March 8.
WHERE: Sorrel Sky, 419 West Broadway, New York City.
MORE INFORMATION: To RSVP, visit http://tinyurl.com/5hanrewy. For more information about Sorrel Sky, visit sorrelsky.com.
“I’ve basically been looking in the West,” she said. “I’ve been looking at spaces in Denver, in Scottsdale, in Dallas, in Austin,” and it wasn’t until she was visiting her son, who lives in New York City, that the idea of a space in the Big Apple began to form. “He and I were at lunch and he just said, ‘Mom, why don’t you just open a gallery here in New York?’”
By the end of the day, she said, she had a real estate agent on the phone looking for spots. It was then that she got in touch with photographer David Yarrow, whom Sorrel Sky represents. Yarrow has lived in New York City for about a decade, Campbell said, so he could help her with the search.
“I’m looking at six different locations and just I just sent David Yarrow an email and in the subject I put: ‘An opening in New York. Are you interested?’ and within seconds he emailed me right back ‘Yes. Call me immediately ...”
Yarrow agreed to help Campbell with the search for a new gallery, and the rest is history: The newest Sorrel Sky is located at 19 West Broadway. It’s 2,500 square feet, and for now, it is a Yarrow-exclusive space, which also makes the gallery the only Yarrow-exclusive space in New York state.
If you’re picturing the gallery to be the same as the one here and in Santa Fe, with a definite Southwest feel, Campbell said that’s not the case.
“It’s got a very clean, and I would say sophisticated, New York aesthetic,” she said. “It’s a really cool old building. And ... the work of David’s that we’re focusing on is much more New York-type of work. So it’s edgier. It’s a little sexier.”
And for someone who’s about to open a new gallery in middle of Manhattan, Campbell said she’s feeling calm, but there have been a few hurdles to get over – including the sheer number of applicants she got to staff the gallery.
“I think the most challenging part for me, besides getting the space and coming to an agreement, which was very scary and very challenging, has been all the technology because I’ve never had to deal with the tech,” she said. “And all of that hiring – we had over 700 applicants to fill three positions. ... I actually had to engage a talent specialist, so I ended up only meeting with and interviewing in person about 12 candidates and she did all of the others for me and all the background checks.”
katie@durangoherald.com
