Treasure Hunting in Healdsburg

Wander into the spacious, warehouse-sized Galeria Tesoros in Healdsburg, and you’ll wonder where you’ve landed. From every vantage point, there is something to arrest your gaze. A school of colorful ceramic fish swim east and west on the north wall … brightly painted canvases with vividly rendered dogs stare down through the rafters … turn one way and you’ll find yourself puzzling over a sculpture made from 200-year-old French oak barrel wood … turn another and you’re staring at your own bemused face in a mirror with rippled edges like a vertical puddle of water. Everywhere you look, from floor to ceiling and in between, there is something you won’t expect – just the kind of things you’d want to spice up your home décor.

Galeria Tesoros, which loosely translates to “Treasure Gallery,” is a place to discover all sorts of unique and rare items for the home and garden, from the practical (beds, tables, chairs, rugs, light fixtures) to the fanciful (how about a hand-carved wooden ladder from New Mexico, or a “village” fountain to enjoy the sound of trickling water in your living room?). You’ll find one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted furniture, antiques and accessories created near at hand by California artisans and imported from distant places like Indonesia, West Indies, France, Italy and Mexico. There is nothing ordinary here. Much of the furniture is fashioned from recycled woods, from Douglas fir to Australian palm. And just about anything you see can be custom-ordered to design specifications.

What really adds a unique touch to the place, though, is that it is also an art gallery for more than 50 artists, most of them local. The eclectic collection covers the walls and finds its way into nooks and crannies all over the store. This is what makes Galeria Tesoros a sumptuous visual feast.

“We didn’t start out with the idea that we would combine an art gallery with our home furnishings and accessories,” says Galeria owner Kathi Bart. “But not long after we opened our store in April 2001, a local artist by the name of Mylette Welch walked in and asked if we’d be interested in selling her work on consignment. We loved her paintings (the vivid, whimsical dogs). We love colors that “pop” and her art was really eye-catching.”

The idea apparently caught on with the local art community. Other artists – including well-known professionals such as Nina Bonos, Sev Ickes, Donna Schaffer, Zak Zaikine, Carolina Buitrago, Julie Higgins and Jim Babcock – began coming in and asking the same question. Bart realized there were a lot of very talented artists eager to find ways to have their work seen. She was interested in helping them, while also offering something extra for her customers.

“Our store offers an ideal venue for displaying and selling the artists’ work,” says Bart. “You can see the art in the context of a home setting here. A lot of our customers come in looking for furniture and end up purchasing art as well. We’re very pleased that we can help support the artists and provide the additional benefit to our customers.”

The artworks on display range from oils, watercolors and mixed media on canvas to sculpture, ceramics and wall hangings. If customers like a particular artist, but don’t see exactly what they like, they can arrange to commission new, original work from the artist. Bart also occasionally offers special art exhibits to showcase a particular artist or group of artists, and invites the public to come enjoy the new collection.

You can get a good view of Galeria Tesoros from your armchair by visiting their website at www.galeriatesoros.com. Kathi and her husband/partner Ron also welcome any inquiries by phone; if it’s out there, they can usually find just about whatever you might be looking for. The gallery is open every day.