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08/09/2006Gallery promotes local artisansOwners' works also play prominent roleSpecial to the Record-Eagle 
Sisters Linda Hamlin, left, of Torch Lake and Rebecca Marsh Day, a resident of the San Francisco Bay area, leave the Evergreen Gallery in Traverse City on Tuesday afternoon. TRAVERSE CITY — At Evergreen Gallery in Traverse City, many of its stand-out pieces are created by owners Charles and Cathleen Thayer. The local artisans each have their specialty: photography for Charles; and floral and fine art, including portraits, for Cathleen. "Here you can get custom artwork, photography and floral, and that's all through Chuck and (me)," said Cathleen, who added she believes she is the only florist in the area to offer freeze-dried and preserved floral arrangements. The Thayers took over the 14-year-old West Front Street gallery last fall. Cathleen had been a freelance artist and florist while her husband, who works full time elsewhere, long had done photography on the side. In addition to featuring their own photography, watercolor and soft pastels and floral arrangements at the gallery, the couple is "dedicated to celebrating fine American art and craft" from 35 regional and local artists. The gallery's items include decorative wall tiles, whimsical jewelry, various styles of glass, fashion and decorative scarves and greeting and note cards. "I think there's a pretty good variety here," Cathleen said. The gallery boasts more than 100 pieces of pottery created by local artist Julie Chai. Other popular lines include Latter Rain, which include handmade soaps, lotions, salts and massage oils by Kingsley's Debbie Breithaupt and handcrafted glassware for the table called Fire and Light. Lampwork jewelry, consisting of glass formed and decorated in a torch flame, is made by Maria Perez-Bastian, who calls herself "Queen Glass." "We do have a lot of glass here — fused, hand-blown, stained," Cathleen said. Another local artist, Julia Hearne, wood burns and paints scenes onto furniture, some of which she constructs herself. So popular is her style, Cathleen said, "I can't keep her stuff in." To display her numerous floral arrangements throughout the gallery, Cathleen peruses antiques stores for unique containers. She's hoping her "everlasting botanicals," or real flowers, perfectly preserved, will catch on in the region, especially among area brides and those interested in floral arrangements for the home. "You can go to a florist and do a dry wreath, but they don't have the freeze-dried, which is so much better," she said. "They look and feel fresh. It's just amazing." The gallery's location is on a busy street, but remains somewhat hidden to some folks. "I get it all the time: 'I've lived here all my life and I never knew you were here,'" she said.
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