by Mary Knippel

4th of July by Deborah Brown-Penrose

A tug boat captain, a physician, a college professor, a world traveler, a retired engineer, and a graphic artist — these are all individuals with considerable passion for photography who have combined their talents to create Kelly Street Gallery Cooperative, the Coastside’s first gallery dedicated to photography. A grand opening is slated for December 7 from 2-5 p.m. where the public is invited to come enjoy champagne and cookies, meet the photographers, and view their distinct styles.

The group — which includes Jan Tiura, Deborah Brown Penrose, Susan Friedman, Nancy West, Richard Kirchner and Jennifer Clark — has been getting together for several years to support and encourage each other. When Penrose purchased the house on Kelly Street in downtown Half Moon Bay last year — a house that had previously been an art gallery — it seemed like an ideal venue to show the group’s photography.

“Art is about sharing,” Deborah Brown Penrose said as we stood in the gallery space of the white frame house. Penrose received a fine arts degree before she pursued a career in medicine. She has recently turned her focus to photography; she has entered several contests and was  a semi-finalist in the Nikon Photo    Contest International 2000-2001.

Hawk by Susan Freidman

As the first woman tugboat captain on the San Francisco Bay, Jan Tiura combines her work on the bay with photography to reveal a unique perspective. Tiura started taking pictures for the yearbook at Half Moon Bay High School. “I photograph working vessels at work. My work is abstract and I’m fascinated by the effects of nature on these vessels,” she said.

Although her first roll of film didn’t turn out, Susan Friedman’s passion for capturing a moment in time has remained constant. “I think art is not something you do lightly,” Friedman said. “It’s a passion. It’s a constant, a way of life and not just something I do on Sundays.” Friedman has been teaching photography in the Bay Area for 22 years as well as building a career as a Grammy Award-winning filmmaker.

“My first camera was a Brownie,” said Nancy West, a world traveler who has just returned from a trip to Africa. “I’ve always been interested in photography. I’m a visual person and my photography is the best, most satisfying way for me to express myself.”

Filoli Tulips by Richard Kirchner

“The science and technology along with the creativity of photography really appeals to me,” said Richard Kirchner, whose longtime fascination with photography turned into a passion when he retired from his engineering position several years ago. He began taking candid photos of interesting faces and composing vignettes of scenes in nature.

Jennifer Clark has built a successful career as a graphic artist, Web site designer and scientific illustrator — and has developed expertise in photographing unusual animals and insects.

These six talented photographers will be showing their work and offering affordable art for sale — art as varied as the individual artists. “We’ll have a little of everything,” Penrose said, “including cards, calendars, framed and matted photographs, unframed and matted photographs, large and small photographs.”

For more information about the gallery, call 650-726-4358.

White Peacock by Jennifer Clark

The Little Cowboy