The Gallery@57 | The Power of “YES” (ep7)

The Gallery@57, an artist-led shop that sells high quality handmade products, was born of a resolve that artists and their work are vital to any community. As the entire world deals with Covid-19, the US addresses sytemic racism, and small businesses must find ways to stay afloat, how and why
The Gallery@57 succeeds is a good story for us all. That story began with a simple question and will continue with a persistent “YES.”

When an empty commercial space in the center of Malden, MA stimulated the imagination of one artist who asked, “what if that empty space could be an art gallery that showcases local artists’ work,” several artists answered with an 11-day popup holiday local artist marketplace known as Malden Pops Up. Excited by the success, Malden Pops Up returned the following year and became known as The Gallery, a long term popup gift shop, gallery, and cultural hub, lasting over one year.

When The Gallery concluded its term at the end of 2018, many people were saddened. But a few knew that the foundation of generosity, creativity, and power of community through arts would prevail and sustain a longer term, more permanent version of The Gallery. In July 2019, the opportunity became reality, as a lease was signed for the space at 57 Pleasant Street, right in the heart of the major transformation that Malden Center is undergoing. The Gallery @57 opened its doors on October 25, 2019, and launched its online shop on April 23, 2020.

After a successful holiday season and a quiet start of 2020 with many events and campaigns planned, The Gallery@57, like other non essential businesses all over, had to close to prevent spread of
COVID-19. Though the pandemic thwarted the momentum of startup and marketing, it spurred on an intense dive into the online world of retail. Resolved to pivot and figure out how to move online, The Gallery@57 opened their online shop in late April.

Michelle Trammel, Sandy Felder, Grace Julian Murthy, and Marcel Schwab, members of the leadership team, share what they’ve learned, what keeps them going and what they hope for. They give clues into what a successful group-led enterprise looks like and how it learns. This conversation shows that a mission empowers a group to say “YES” to try, “YES” to learn, and “YES” to create new things. And a growing appreciation, respect, and care for one another keeps the “YES” going through challenges.