When Catherine “KK” and John Patton uprooted their lives this spring to move from Texas to Durango to open an art gallery, naming their new business came easy.
Sendero, which means “path” in Spanish, had a double meaning for the couple and relevance that was too good to pass up.
“This is kind of our new path, one,” KK Patton said. “And also for Durango, it's a path to new things that weren't here before.”
The Pattons opened Sendero Gallery on June 1. The gallery, which is in a historic home at 163 E. 10th St., is filled with an eclectic mix of oil paintings, local photography, sculpture and antique furniture.
Photographs by local artist Paul Boyer hang on the walls along with paintings by fellow Durango artists Sharon Mantor and Renie Knudson. Oriental rugs cover the floors and antique chairs, vanities, tea sets, dishes and lamps fill out the rooms. The gallery also features bronze sculptures created by KK Patton's sister, the accomplished artist Claire Christie. Everything is for sale.
“It's a wild mix,” Patton said. “Artwise, it's kind of a little big of everything.”
She said the idea behind Sendero is to complement Durango's vibrant art scene by offering something new. The gallery carries jewelry and art that can't be found anywhere else in town, she said, and the antique collection is one of a kind.
“We want to support the art community and complement the other galleries,” she said. “I think our stuff is kind of different from what you usually see in Durango.”
The items range from small items like bookends and necklaces to large pieces like intricate rugs and hefty vanities. The price point also varies, Patton said, from $25 ornamental crosses to $6,000 sculptures.
She has a background in real estate and started a medical company in Texas after inventing an injection port for diabetics. She and her husband have long dreamed of relocating to Colorado, she said, and decided to make it happen this year after selling their businesses in Austin.
When they found the space on 10th Street, Patton said, “We thought, 'What a perfect place for a little antique gallery.'”
The Pattons repainted the interior, removed the doors to create a flow between the rooms and did some landscaping before filling the gallery with art. KK Patton said she feels like they lucked out and nabbed some fantastic local artists.
The furniture, meanwhile, mostly comes mostly from the collection she's built over the years.
kklingsporn@durangoherald.com
Sendero Gallery
Sendero Gallery, 163 E. 10th St., is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 12 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Call 764-4064 for more information.
