Supermarket. Drugstore. Hardware store. Bank. Mail Center. The Marketplace on St. John is a place to go to get things done – and maybe pick up something good to eat while you’re there.
For 13 years, the Kimberly Boulon Fine Art Gallery stood smack in the middle of all of this transactional trade with a different purpose: To bring beauty and wonder to people as they pass through a commercial space.
This past April, Kimberly Boulon reached a decision to close the gallery, which had been brewing for months, and within two weeks, a dozen artists came to collect their work. Since May, the prime retail location on the second floor has stood empty.
“We had wonderful artists, and 13 great years putting on Friday evening events during the peak season, collaborating with the St. John School of the Arts and other organizations,” said Boulon. Events featuring dance, drama, children’s art, local culture and the culinary arts drew hundreds to the Marketplace’s public spaces.
“The gallery represented beauty, love, and sharing; if it brought moments or a lifetime of excitement, contemplation, pleasure and serenity into people’s daily experiences, then we are beyond grateful for these marvelous gifts,” Boulon continued.
Boulon said the decision to close the gallery came at a time when she wanted to open up space in her life to pursue other interests, including her passion for architecture and design in natural settings. It also coincided with a multiyear project to add a second floor to the home she and her husband, Rafe, built overlooking Windswept Beach on St. John’s north shore. A view from the Boulon’s home can be seen live on a YouTube webcam by clicking here.
Their house stands in a unique location. The Boulon family has owned property between Trunk Bay and Peter Bay since 1928, long before the Virgin Islands National Park was a gleam in Laurance Rockefeller’s eye. (Rockefeller was critical in the park’s creation.) Starting in the 1940s, Rafe’s grandmother, Erva Hartwell Boulon, ran a guesthouse overlooking Trunk Bay that served as a rustic vacation spot for adventurous travelers as well as Hollywood stars seeking a hideaway.
From Rafe and Kimberly’s home, visitors have a sweeping view of many of the seascapes that Kimberly has painted over the years. For the second story, they have collaborated with Fred Gemmell and Holly Howell of Matrix Design Studio to create spaces that can showcase Kimberly’s art. One goal is to open the space for viewing to those seriously interested in her work, starting in the late fall.
Since Rafe is now doing much of the construction work himself, the house will continue to be a work-in-progress for years to come, “as creativity never ceases.” Kimberly looks at the design and project as following the same principles she’s applied to her artwork. “You look at light and dark, high and low, compression at some point, expansion in another. You have to have something that gives you boundaries, a frame that gives you a moment to pause. As an artist, you’re leading your viewer around and within a space.”
Kimberly’s one regret is no longer offering a showcase for the talented artists whose unusual work rarely appeared in other local galleries, such as George Hollander’s lighting fixtures, John Van de Water’s stone and bronze mosaics and Dave Carlson’s epoxy-enhanced wood turnings.
Since her gallery closed fairly suddenly without fanfare, Boulon said she didn’t give people who meant-to-buy-something-one-of-these-days an opportunity to follow through on their intention, but she’s happy to put buyers in touch with the artists she represented, including those previously listed and Caroline Rogers, Fred Gemmell, Kim Nogueira, Gail Van de Bogurt, Hal Usher, Gail Karlsson, David Moser, Helen Dunkerlee, and Jerilee Roberts.
As for her own work, many of her paintings can be viewed on her website, and she welcomes inquiries by phone at 340-690-3332 or 340-690-5588, or by email at kimberlyboulonart@gmail.com.
She wants to thank their photographers and videographers, Bill Stelzer and Yelena Rogers, and the Marketplace’s manager, Debbie Marsh, for always being open to her ideas for events, and to everyone who loves art in the St. John community for their gracious support.
