HMB SOMA: Hidden art gems of Half Moon Bay
by Shannon Bowman-Sarkisian
Ellen Joseph Gallery & Studio. Photo courtesy of Ellen Joseph.
December 2011— The Coastside is a known haven for artists and art patrons alike. Painters, poets, musicians, sculptors, photographers and craftsmen from all walks of life have come for decades from around the world, drawn to the dramatic coastline and relaxed atmosphere.
But many visitors and residents searching for art on the Coastside confine themselves to a short stretch on the north end of Main Street in Half Moon Bay, and although that area is bursting with galleries, the truth is that Main Street has much more to offer.
The south end of Main Street has quietly become a thriving artist community of schools, galleries and studios. Much of the work is on display in unconventional ways, so it may not be obvious to pedestrians that the hair salon, bed & breakfast, or coffee shop they’re passing is also an art gallery.
In an effort to bring the community together and increase foot traffic, the neighborhood has branded itself HMB SOMA. “It’s playing on San Francisco’s SOMA: South of Market. We are South Main,” says Ellen Joseph of the Ellen Joseph Gallery and Studio, who spearheaded the effort. “There are all these other things going on and even the people who live in town don’t know about them. Most people don’t find themselves down here. It’s something they zoom past.”
Joseph, a local painter who created the commemorative poster for the 2011 Art and Pumpkin Festival, forged connections with her neighbors and formed HMB SOMA. The group is hosting its first event, the Holiday Art Walk, on Dec. 11, 2011 from 2 to 5 p.m. Here are just a few of the HMB SOMA businesses:
Ellen Joseph.
840 Main St.
650-728-7518
The driving force behind HMB SOMA, Joseph celebrated the grand opening of her gallery in May 2011. Her gallery has a bright, welcoming feel to it with clean white walls and paintings of local landmarks — including Bob’s Pumpkin Farm, her inspiration for the Pumpkin Festival poster.
“It feels nice down here,” Joseph says, speaking of her SOMA location. “I didn’t really want to be a retail store operator. A gallery where I have to be there all the time feels like a bit of a burden, whereas if I’m free to paint — I paint outside a lot — I can just go and paint, or paint at weird hours. I’m just open when I’m here unless someone calls me. I like appointments.”
Her inspiration for the HMB SOMA collaboration came from speaking with a neighboring gallery. “I was talking to the office manager at Coastside Land Trust and we discussed having an event … some kind of street fair, to create awareness about our end of town. With the little connection I’ve had with people in the area, I think that there’s a sense that it would be nice to do something to bring it all together and bring awareness up — coordinate our events more.”
Coastside Land Trust Gallery administrator Lindsey Peterson. Photo courtesy of CLT.
788 Main St.
650-726-5056
The Coastside Land Trust Gallery has natural light and an airy ambience that highlights the photographs adorning its walls. “The gallery is a fundraiser for us,” says administrator Lindsey Peterson. “All of the artwork here has been exclusively created by Beau Gill and donated to us for resale. One hundred percent of the sale price goes to support the Coastside Land Trust.”
Gill, a Coastside photographer, was a member of the Coastside Land Trust board of directors before having to step down for health reasons. “I really believe in the stewardship and the need to preserve the land, especially the bluffs,” he says. “I decided to say OK, this is what I can do for my part.”
The gallery is a welcoming environment. “We’re enjoying the social aspect of being here on Main Street,” says Peterson. “We get a lot of foot traffic here in Half Moon Bay so people who know us just stop in and oftentimes have tea with us. If people want to come to our art gallery we love to hear their stories about the land that we protect. It’s intriguing to look at our pictures and to know the story behind it. That’s a big part of what we do as a land trust is to engage people about the land that we protect. We’re always looking forward to a cup of tea.”
Deb and Michael Wong in front of their Main Street studio. Photo courtesy of Deb Wong.
790 Main St.
650-726-3025
Spring Mountain Gallery opened in 1980 and was at its Shoreline Station location for 29 years before owners Mike and Deb Wong moved to Main Street almost three years ago. “I’ve always wanted a Main Street address, but the rents up on the north end are really expensive,” says Mike. “We’re kind of quiet people. We can’t handle too much of a crowd, so this is perfect.”
Like many of the other HMB SOMA businesses, Spring Mountain is not your typical gallery. The walls of the intimate interior are teeming with photographs — and samples of framing materials. “We’re not just a gallery,” says Deb. “We do photography and I do photo restorations. … Basically what we do is custom framing and such, so we come into contact with artists from all over, and Mike is a professional photographer so we do it all. I also do websites for a lot of the artists, too.”
A typical drawing class at Fly on the Wall Art School. Photo courtesy of Fly on the Wall Art School.
790 Main St.
650-726-8125
Fly on the Wall Art School is a bustling studio filled with children creating, building, crafting and learning. The air almost hums with excitement and raw creative energy. At the helm is owner and instructor Susan Carkeek-Harris, a painter with a personality as vibrant as her classroom.
Like Spring Mountain Gallery, Fly on the Wall moved from Shoreline Station to Main Street fairly recently. “I felt like it had a good vibe being next to Michael and Debra,” she says. “They couldn’t be better neighbors. It has kind of an arts feel to it and we’re really happy here. … I love this part of town … love being in the middle of things. It doesn’t seem like it because I’m south of town, but compared to all the outlying places that I’ve been in the past, this is perfect. We have lots of windows and light, and accessibility, and we’re on top of what’s going on in the community, and kids can walk here from Cunha and the high school. I’m just really happy here. It’s a good space.”
bamboo Hair + Body and bamboo Body + Soul
Relaxing tea area at bamboo Body + Soul. Photo courtesy of bamboo Body + Soul.
799 Main St., Suite B
650-712-8200
Many spas and salons have some type of artwork on the walls, but bamboo does it differently. “In its origin,” says owner Yasmin Caminiti, “I had envisioned a salon which supported artists while fostering peace of mind way before the doors of bamboo opened. It is a perfect match: art on the walls changing on an irregular basis and a willing and interested group of folks who look forward to viewing.” Caminiti has had a different art installation every three months since the salon opened in 2007. Win DelArrio — will have her latest works on display until Feb. 10, 2012 — and Margaret Lindsey will be installing her work in bamboo’s wellness classroom for the HMB SOMA event.
