Today we’d like to introduce you to Peggy Russell.
Peggy , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2010 I was seeking a change from a 25+ year career running my textile design studio Iro Design, in Boston’s SOWA neighborhood. I had traveled endlessly across the country doing juried art shows, trade shows like the New York Itnl gift show, The accessories circuit and The American craft council shows to promote and wholesale my line of hand painted silk accessories and clothing and home wares. It was early spring 2010 when I reached out to myriad contacts outside of Boston to inquire about spaces available for the summer season. My plan was not to open a retail space initially, but to find an adjunct summer studio to continue designing and creating my work. My inquiry lead to a friend in the North Shore realty business who said their downtown Gloucester location would be moving and that the small office on Main Street was going to be empty by mid-June…intrigued, I ventured to meet her and have lunch and see it. The space would eventually become my store Pop Gallery @ 67 Main Street. My first glimpse was daunting a bit, an old faded carpet and fluorescent lights were still in place and some office chairs in need of repair. But an exposed brick wall and the sweetest landlord and neighbors and a view of a historic mansion and garden across the street were beguiling enough. My husband provided new faux weathered wood flooring at cost, and with paint and some trade show displays and track lighting it transformed a 600+ sq. foot dingy office into a retail gem!
The first season I partnered up with some other artist/ design friends and we ran it cooperatively without so much as a business plan or a cash register but set up our collective “booth/ show displays” within the space. The original team Pop was: Me / Peggy Russell Iro Design Boston, Linda Cordner/ encaustic painter and graphic designer Boston, Joyce Roessler/ glass blower and jewelry designer and painter/ Boston, Sonja Grondstra / contemporary sea glass jewelry designer / Swampscott MA, Betsy Frost/ metalsmith and jewelry designer / Ipswich MA. And we also brought in some other friends work to round out our monthly calendar of changing exhibits. It was pretty successful and everyone had a fun and reasonably profitable time considering we divided the overhead and rent.
Come the end of season we closed it up and I asked the landlord to give us right of first refusal on next season, he really wanted us to stay. The following Spring I asked my partners if anyone still was willing to stay “in” as a Co-Op…Long story short, in spring 2011 I took over sole operations for Pop Gallery as the founder and sole proprietor but still continued to feature some of the original group’s work. Seven years later and myself and my current colleagues (many who are either artisans, designers, graphic designers, photographers, professional seamstresses and sail makers and even an actress !) have turned Pop into hot spot for exclusive local, national and international designers. Our products range from clothing, accessories, to works of art in several mediums, clay, jewelry, cheeky cards, home wares and even a small back room devoted to ‘Dudes’ called ‘BUOY’.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The first few years were a real challenge to maintain regular hours while still commuting from Boston where I had a family life, a full studio with staff, and was still doing shows. So, my husband Andy and I met a friend and fellow Gallery owner, Fred Bodin who ran Bodin Historic Photo Gallery across the street and offered us to rent his studio / loft space on the weekends so we could stay open later on busy days and enjoy the beach and evening activities around town. It was going along beautifully and starting to gain traction with me putting in 99% of the workforce… The real major life changing / altering moment was sadly and suddenly in March 2013, my husband of 15 years died unexpectedly and shocked me into a new reality.
Long story short, I decided to move full time up to Gloucester and change my location and everything else to follow. A year later my dear friend Mr. Bodin passed from cancer and I purchased and renovated his loft where I now live full time and walk to work! Obstacles of many sorts and hassles occur always while developing a business but a life change can and does certainly “kick your ass” into either swimming or sinking.
Right before Andy died, I hired a young and hugely talented lady I had met at an opening party at Bodin Photo Gallery, Vignette Lammott. She had recently arrived with her husband and 2 yr. old daughter from Los Angeles / via Chicago to follow her husband’s return to NE and job. She immediately became my right hand in many ways. She both worked in the store and helped me focus on buying and displaying while she developed a marketing strategy and our successful social media presence ( to this day and after another baby she maintains those sites) we collectively work with our other talented Pop Gals and do all of our own photo shoots, styling, editing and promotions!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Pop Gallery & Buoy story. Tell us more about the business.
I coined the tag line: Pop Gallery “Gloucester’s Emporium of Cool” a while back…
While Vignette has always used the ” shop local stress less” comment in her posts.
We’ve had colleagues and customers alike call us: North Shores best kept secret stash of amazing stuff, “pop / part store part party” as we host regular special shopping events and serve beverages and treats on the odd whim… Many out of towners are surprised at the city chic as well as the funky fun and bohemian vibe we’ve created with our ‘flotsam and jetsam displays’, unique brands, in -house exclusive designs, locally sourced and created options, and the pedigree of our collections and artists resume’s!
We’ve got a few designers who are included in The Smithsonian, SF and NYC Moma collections, I myself sold for years to Barneys and Nordstrom before closing my studio and moving here… We have amazingly affordable clothing lines and carry juniors as well as some plus sizes and Men’s all within a 600 sq. foot space! We boast that we have the shittiest dressing room in all of Gloucester and laugh with customers while they fumble around trying clothes on behind a semi sheer curtain… We offer expert advice, often doing simple alterations ourselves for customers, and maintain a ‘wishlist’ notebook so that we can notify customers about special orders etc. Our customer service is impeccable if I do say myself. We keep our prices SOOOOO reasonable and clients often comment that they’ve seen similar lines selling for much much higher prices elsewhere. We keep a huge stockpile of snarky cards, gifts and offer free gift wrapping.
Pricing:
- Prices start 1.50 and rarely over $200.00 !
Contact Info:
- Address: 67 Main Street
Gloucester MA 01930Open most days 11-6 weeekends later, during peak season later, during holidays and block parties real late! By chance and appointment always, just holler. - Website: Poponmain.com
- Phone: 617-458-9345
- Email: poponmain@gmail.com
- Instagram: Pop_gallery
- Facebook: @Pop Gallery Gloucester
- Other: Artbythesea.co
Image Credit:
Vignette Lammott Sauvage photo Gloucester MA
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