COVID-19 is Killing our Art Gallery

The Coronavirus, COVID-19, is killing the Topanga Canyon Gallery!  This gallery has become a part of our family and a part of the community.  We need your help to save this charming art gallery.  After 30 years of serving Topanga and it’s surrounding communities, the Topanga Canyon Gallery is in dire straights!  Closed by the Governor, at our most pivotal time of the year, on March 19th, as a response to the Coronavirus. We have struggled to keep our business alive with online sales through our website, (topangacanyongallery ), Facebook, Instagram, email, personal art sales, etc.  Whatever we can think of…   We have applied unsuccessfully for government assistance and a variety of art grants. Apparently our business model as a private non-profit appears to exclude us from getting assistance. So now our Board: Patrick Ramsey, Sari Scheer, Russell Hunziker, Farideh Azad and, me, Idelle Okman Tyzbir are asking for your help on behalf of all our artists.  

Topanga Canyon Gallery artists:  Farideh Azad, Delbar Azari, Lisa Baldwin, Kate Browning, Susan Dukow, Donna Geist Buch, Don Holtz, Russel Hunziker, Caroline PM Jones, Moises Mendoza, Susan Nissman, Kit Plumridge, Patrick Ramsey, Toby Salkin, Sari Scheer, Robin Tripaldi, Idelle Okman Tyzbir, Lois York.
 
This beautiful intimate gallery is located in the heart of Topanga Canyon, California, an area well known for the arts in all genres. We are a cooperative gallery operated by 18 amazing owner artists, all volunteer, with no employees.  The bulk of our income comes from our Annual Studio Tour, normally held the first weekend in June, and our monthly Opening Events for each new show. 


 
The Studio Tour, a self-guided treasure hunt, where visitors, art lovers and collectors can see the artists in their studios.  Each studio/home also hosts member artists who do not live in Topanga Canyon.  We were just starting the planning of this year’s 19th annual Studio Tour when the shutdown order occurred.  This beloved event requires a great deal of planning and fundraising.  We are unable to hold this event as it requires close contact between the public and the artists.  In addition, it is important to note that this event brings in well over 500 people, and the lack of this event also creates a loss of income for our neighboring businesses.
 
Our monthly Art Openings also draw many visitors to our gallery.  Everyone looks forward to these openings and is excited to see how artists are handling themes, see new artwork, speak personally with artists and interact with other art aficionados.  We have already lost three of these Openings and have no idea when we can host another!   The number of attendees for these openings far exceeds the limited number of people able gather together in an enclosed area.


 
In addition, we serve our community by hosting and donating our entire gallery space to our local elementary school for one week each year.  This gives young people the opportunity to learn about art, see their work in a gallery and learn gallery appropriate behavior.
 
We are reaching out to you for help in keeping this usually vibrant gallery open.  The funding will help us to prepare for our future! We have high hopes for advertising a Studio Tour and Opening Events as well as making a large dent in our rent, utilities, and insurance. We need to continue to serve the community as well as the many tourists who travel the area and to continue to display and sell the art of our very deserving and talented artists.  With the inability to have the Studio Tour and Art Openings we will be unable to make up this lost income. We appreciate EVERY donation, large and small, and hope that we will be able to meet you personally in the future. Please share this GoFundMe with all of your friends and on social media. Working together to save this gallery, well, it really mean a great deal to us as well as the community!
 
-There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun. ~ Pablo Picasso