The best words to describe the work at the gallery are whimsical and eclectic.
There are original paintings of acrylic on canvas. There are photographs, mostly by Bay Area photographer Alexis Greenberg. There are even cartoon-style animal pieces by Santa Rosa artist Lina Chambliss.
Without question, the most eye-catching pieces in the gallery are the sculptures.
A sculpture by artist Cindy Wilson is a totem of beach balls. Another piece, by Meagen Svendsen, appears as a bunch of balloons tied together with actual string. Then, of course, there are the pieces by Jeffie Brewer, an artist from Nacogdoches, Texas, who specializes in vibrant metal animal sculptures.
While many of Brewer’s eccentric creations are the size of bowling balls, others are tremendous — a pink-and-purple giraffe in the center of the gallery stands at more than six feet tall.
Brewer said he jumped at the chance to be featured in Charles’ gallery, seeing it as a good opportunity to appeal to a sympathetic audience.
“I feel like Wine Country has a sophisticated yet fun audience that my work would especially appeal to,” he said in a recent text message. “Any spot with healthy tourism can bring new eyes to the work and that’s what it’s all about — sharing it with others.”
Brewer added, “My biggest goal as an artist is to add a little joy, a brief respite from the gloom and doom that can permeate our world these days. We only get a moment together.”
Connected to culture
Charles has many goals as a gallery owner — to expand horizons, to provide a platform for up-and-coming artists. Another big one: To help raise awareness and appreciation of other Black artists among the general population.
“There’s this thing that happens with Black art — people think, ‘This art is just for Black people,’” Charles said. “That’s not true. Black art can be for everyone. You don’t have to be a person of color to hang a person of color in your home or business. This is something that needs to grow and change.”
Charles said she’s actively trying to change this mindset with the eclecticism of her gallery. So far, she said, it’s working.
The approach certainly has made an impression on Malia Anderson.
Anderson, who is Black, is the owner of Style by Malia, a Santa Rosa-based image consulting firm. She also is the economic development committee chair of the NAACP Santa Rosa-Sonoma Branch. She said meeting Charles was a “truly exciting” experience.
“Seeing a Black woman thrive in the art community in Healdsburg is important to Sonoma County Black businesses,” Anderson said. “It shows that we have a strong Black business community, but more important, it reinforces the statement that we as a Black community are multifaceted.”
In 2021, Sonoma County Economic Board’s special report “COVID-19 Economic Impacts on Sonoma County,” looked at the effects of the pandemic on BIPOC businesses. The report stated, 20% of all businesses in Sonoma County are BIPOC-owned and BIPOC business owners are starting businesses at a faster rate among virtually all industries.
And Charles’ gallery is thriving and she thanks to those she’s able to collaborate with.
“I just want to say that I am grateful for the artists I work with. They are passionate and kind human beings creating artwork that makes you smile, and smiling is good for the soul,” she said. “Many of the artists I personally collected and/or were a fan of theirs prior to opening the gallery and followed their careers on Instagram or via their newsletters. So when guests find something they love and buy their artworks I get so excited for the artists.”
She’s also been sharing advice to those close to her to may also want to start their own business.
“I have been fortunate to offer advice to people from friends, acquaintances and even strangers. I like to start with seeing their body of work and asking, what makes your heart sing? And go from there,” she said. “Starting with a strong foundation will give you long term success, make decisions for the long run. Additionally, the more fine tuned your business acumen is the better.”
More art, artists and events ahead
Charles sees herself as an integral part of the local Black community, and has plans to celebrate that community in the weeks and months ahead.
She’ll be a part of the Juneteenth Celebration in the Healdsburg Plaza in June 15. And she’s hosting an AAPI small businesses mixer at Rena Charles Gallery on June 16.
She said she would like bring Tiffany Conway, a Black artist from the Bay Area whose work celebrates the African diaspora, to the gallery at some point. Charles refers to Conway’s work as a “really refreshing way.”
“I love that Tiffany captures everyday moments in the culture in a vibrant and fresh way. Her color palette, and body movements … there’s an airiness to them and they are joyful,” Charles said. “Art is a visual language and I think what she is saying is beautiful and can be universally collected by anyone.”
On June 22, Charles will be hosting an event with landscape designer Leslie Bennett, a woman of color who also identifies as queer. Bennett recently published a book titled, “Garden Wonderland,” and will have copies of the book available to sign. A small portion of all art sales that day will support Pine House Edible Gardens, a company Bennett started to build garden spaces in Black communities.
Later in the month, on June 24, the gallery will host a mixer to celebrate local Asian American owned businesses. This event is being co-sponsored by the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of the North Bay.
Beyond these milestones, Charles said she plans to continue curating great art.
As an artist, she’ll keep painting ice cream trees. As a gallery owner, she’ll stay hungry to find new artists to exhibit, always keeping the artwork on her walls fresh.
“It feels wonderful when you create something and people enjoy it,” she said. “To be able to do that as both an artist and as a gallery owner is very rewarding, and something I don’t think I’ll ever take for granted.”