If you were to describe what goes on at Piermont Straus, it might sound too ambitious. After all, it”™s an art gallery that sells honey, a bookshop that features T-shirts and a museum shop that hosts book signings, art openings and wine tastings.
But thanks to the unifying vision of owner Laura Straus, it all comes together in a quirky and appealing mix tucked behind a sunflower-strewn façade.
The current exhibition features the artwork of Jana Kolpen to celebrate the release of the 15th anniversary edition of “The Secrets of Pistoulet.” Last month”™s well-attended opening for the book about a woman”™s reinvention on a French farm was held on Bastille Day and tied to Piermont”™s own celebration of the French national day.
Even Straus seems bemused by her inaugural retail venture”™s early success. Since opening last October at 530B Piermont Ave., Piermont Straus has already hosted five exhibitions, connected with the community and remained financially sound.
“I thought we”™d be the first year in the red,” Straus said, adding that the business is covering itself nicely.
Open Fridays through Sundays or by appointment, the shop not only serves locals but capitalizes on Piermont”™s day-trippers and weekend visitors who might be on the hunt for a new piece of art for their home or a Piermont themed T-shirt or poster.
“We don”™t have any absolutes about what this needs to be,” Straus said of the gallery”™s focus.
That”™s why art exhibitions surround a counter that features artisanal honey, a whole room is devoted to books both new and used and art notecards share display space with tabletop accessories.
“We take an author and try to celebrate their work through imagery,” Straus said, which leads to the unique merchandise that ties it all together.
“If the artist is interested, we often try to take their work and do what a museum shop would do,” she said, with results exemplified by a whimsical chicken-themed scarf based on a Kolpen work. The shop also features a collection of souvenir-style items inspired by Piermont itself ”“ think T-shirts, posters, calendars and magnets ”“ with a decidedly artistic slant.
As Straus looks back over her venture”™s early months, she marvels at how it has all fallen into place.
“This felt like the next natural step in my life,” said Straus, a veteran photo editor-turned-photographer who four years ago relocated to Piermont with her husband, banker John Alexander.
At first, Straus says she was tempted to use the space as a studio but then hit on the gallery concept.
“The evolution of this became more about becoming a part of the community here rather than showcasing my work,” she said. “I have never actually done a solo show here in my own gallery. I feel the multi-artist shows are when I can slip in.”
Most every aspect of Straus”™ career culminates in Piermont Straus.
Straus, who grew up in Purchase and graduated with a degree in fine art after studying drawing at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., was based in Manhattan for 25 years.
There, she turned to photography after a career in photo editing, working for companies ranging from Magnum Photos to Abbeville Press, where Straus was introduced to art-book publishing ”“ and carried on a family tradition. (Her grandfather, Roger Straus, founded Farrar, Straus & Giroux and her father, also named Roger Straus, was a publisher and is now an architectural photographer.)
Straus herself has completed a number of photographic monographs for Andrews & McMeel, while her work has also appeared in publications ranging from The New York Times to People magazine. Since 1998, she has also worked with the Artists Rights Society in Manhattan, which represents the estates of more than a half million artists, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Georgia O”™Keeffe. Today, she commutes to Manhattan three days a week for that job.
Straus has also become an active participant of the Piermont Business Council and is a strong advocate of the “shop-local” philosophy.
“I think more and more there”™s something about that that really matters,” she said.
In addition, Straus and her husband have created the Piermont Straus Foundation, dedicated to contributing to the arts and culture of the Hudson River Valley.
For now, Straus devotes her time to planning gallery events, which are highlighted on its active Facebook page.
Straus shares her sixth exhibition, which will open Sept. 8, a celebration of Cornelia Guest”™s new book “Simple Pleasures.” The companion exhibition, “Green Acres & Simple Pleasures,” will feature works by a number of artists and kick off with a champagne reception.
For Straus, the gallery that went from dream to reality has already brought her much satisfaction.
“This place has done more for me in terms of feeling I have my hand in the creative world than I could have imagined.”
