Images Left to right: oil painting of Paul with his grandson Brady by Gail Chandler and photo of Paul with his granddaughter Katie at Gallery 1870 standing in front of Leon Roulette's beautiful painting of poppies.
Gallery 1870 - The Untold Story
“Even though people come from all over the world and have different personalities and tastes, they are all enamored by the Napa Valley experience.”
Gallery 1870 was established in 1994 and is housed in the V Marketplace in Yountville in the heart of the Napa Valley. Originally called Vintage 1870, this complex of specialty shops, galleries, and wine tasting rooms, was the first major tourist development in Yountville. It was created in the former Groezinger Winery, an imposing three story brick building built in 1870.
In his mid 60’s and built like a linebacker, Paul is the eldest of eight children. He was raised in a small community on the Columbia River and had not yet learned to read or write when he entered third grade after his family moved to the larger town of Elgin, Oregon. He caught up quickly, however, and soon was involved with choir, the marching band, and sports. By the time he was a senior in high school, he was an Oregon state wrestling champion. Paul runs Gallery 1870 with his wife, Kathy, and their daughter Kassia.
“Getting into the art business was kind of an accident. It started when my daughter Kassia was going to UC Davis and working part-time at an art Gallery for the first owner of Gallery 1870. At that time, I had retired after twenty-eight years as a manager of a big box retailer. When an opening came up where my daughter worked, she encouraged me to look into it and I took the job. Kassia would say if it weren’t for her, I would not own Gallery 1870 today, and that is probably true.” –Paul – Gallery 1870 Owner.
“I liked my job as an art consultant of over two years and happened to be in the right place at the right time when the first owner of Gallery 1870 decided to sell the business. After I crunched all the numbers, I decided to make an offer on the Gallery. My wife, Kathy, was out of town, and when she returned home it was a bit of a surprise. I never recommend buying a business without your spouse’s support and, however in this case it worked out, Kathy quickly jumped in and has been a huge asset to the success of our Gallery.” –Paul—Gallery 1870 Owner.
“Before I purchased Gallery 1870, our daughter, Kassia had left the art industry for a position in higher education where she could obtain her MBA. In 2006, just one year after purchasing Gallery 1870, we expanded the retail footprint to include a space across the hall. After this acquisition, Kassia came on board full time to help us manage the gallery. Kassia acts as Gallery Director and manages all phases of the business in addition to being a successful art consultant. She has allowed me to let go of some of the duties of running the Gallery and I have assurance that it is in the hands of someone passionately pursuing excellence. I feel fortunate to have the family support that makes Gallery 1870 a success. From Kathy's endless support, to Kassia's determination to continually improve the Gallery through multiple avenues, and with the support of our son Andrew, who serves as our trusted IT consultant, Gallery 1870 thrives today. Additionally our Gallery family also includes two dedicated and successful artist consultants, Kim and Gail. And finally our gallery family extends even further to include our talented artists, many of which are local northern California artists, without their talents, Gallery 1870 could not exist. Gallery 1870 is truly a small "mom and pop" family owned and operated business and I don't know what we would do without our family. They are the heart of Gallery 1870." --Paul--Gallery 1870 Owner.
From left to right: Kassia and her family, Kathy and Paul, Andrew and his family.
Excerpts from this blog were taken from the book “Tasting the Good Life” by anthropologists George Gmelch, and Sharon Bohn Gmelch available for sale at Gallery 1870 for $21.95. Paul’s story is just one of the featured chapters in their book. Read the back cover teaser for “Tasting the Good Life” below:
“Five million visitors a year travel to California’s Napa Valley to experience the good life: to taste fine wines, eat fine food, and immerse themselves in other sophisticated pleasures while surrounded by bucolic beauty. Tourism is the world’s largest employer, and tourists today want to experience the world through all five senses. Tasting the Good Life tells the story of Napa tourism through the words of the tourists who visit and the men and women who provide the products and services they rely on. The stories of 18 people—from winemaker to vineyard manager, from celebrity chef to wait staff, from hot air balloonist to masseur—provide extraordinary insight into this new form of tourism and its impact on an Iconic American place.” (back cover of the book “Tasting the Good Life” by George Gmelch, and Sharon Bohn Gmelch.)
Click here to Purchase the paperback book "Tasting the Good Life" from Gallery 1870