After more than two decades in one Grand Avenue storefront, a longtime St. Paul art destination has found a new home just a little farther up the street.
The Grand Hand Gallery officially reopened Feb. 27 in a new location at 1338 Grand Ave., where owners Rachel Hartzler and Jim Jacobson are continuing the gallery’s mission of showcasing handmade art by regional artists while strengthening its ties to the neighborhood.
The husband-and-wife team took ownership of the gallery in September 2022, following founder Ann Ruhr Pifer and later owners Mary Whitney and Cathy Weyerhaeuser.
“This is a commercial art gallery, which means it’s not necessarily a gallery where you have to go in and stroke an imaginary beard and just look at things on the wall,” Jacobson said. “We do want you to buy things.”
The gallery specializes in handmade art and craft from Minnesota and the broader Midwest, including pottery, paintings, prints, woodwork, glass art and functional items such as cutting boards and ceramics. Prices range widely — from small items around $6 to larger pieces costing several thousand dollars — allowing visitors to engage with art at many price points.
“We specialize in local,” Jacobson said. “Mostly Minnesota, but certainly Midwest handmade goods. Every piece is unique.”
The move comes after the gallery spent about 21 years in its previous location near Grand and Dale. Hartzler and Jacobson had owned the business there for about three and a half years before relocating.
They closed the former space Jan. 10 and opened the new storefront at the end of the month after a fast-paced transition. Renovations had already begun in November after the pair signed a lease for the space previously occupied by Treadle Yard Goods at Grand and Hamline.
The new gallery is brighter and more open than the former fabric store, with large windows that bring in natural light and allow passersby to see artwork from the street.
“It just feels alive in here,” Hartzler said.
Despite interest in moving the gallery, Hartzler and Jacobson were determined to stay on Grand Avenue, where the gallery has long been part of the retail corridor’s identity.
“It does mean a lot to us to stay in this community and to stay on Grand Avenue,” Jacobson said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
At the reopening event, St. Paul City Council Member Rebecca Noecker said small businesses like the gallery play an important role in the city’s future.
“This sort of new beginning, this transition, this rebirth really gives me a lot of hope,” Noecker said. “It gives our whole community a lot of hope.”
Hartzler said one of the gallery’s defining characteristics is the close relationship it maintains with artists whose work it sells.
“We develop a personal relationship with each artist,” she said. “They’re kind of part of the family. We care about their well-being and their success.”
Unlike some galleries, Grand Hand does not require exclusive arrangements with artists. Instead, the owners encourage artists to exhibit their work elsewhere as well.
“If an artist gets an opportunity in another gallery, we are excited for them,” Hartzler said.
Much of the artwork in the gallery also reflects the natural landscapes and wildlife of the Midwest, with bright colors and contemporary styles. The owners intentionally avoid chasing short-lived art trends, focusing instead on work that reflects the artist’s personal passion.
“We’re most excited about art that excites the artist,” Hartzler said.
Hartzler’s personal connection to art started long before she became a gallery owner. She describes everyday objects in her home — especially handmade pottery — as small, meaningful connections to the artists who created them.
“Every morning I pick out a mug that I’m going to drink my coffee out of,” she said. “It kind of sets the day. Every line in that mug ties back to the person who made it and what was going on in their life that day.”
That philosophy extends to the gallery’s emphasis on “functional art” — handmade pieces meant to be used in daily life rather than simply displayed.
“It’s something you get to enjoy every time you use it,” Hartzler said.
Continuing old traditions in a new space
One of the gallery’s most popular annual events will also return this spring. Beginning March 20 and running through April, the gallery will host its resale event, where community members can bring in artwork they no longer want. The gallery sells the pieces on consignment, splitting the proceeds with the seller.
The event often draws significant interest from collectors and casual buyers alike.
“It’s wildly popular,” Hartzler said. “People love it.”
For sellers, the event offers a way to pass artwork along to new owners who will appreciate it, rather than trying to sell it online.
“For some people, they have more art than they have display space,” Jacobson said. “For others they’re downsizing, or their connection to a piece has changed. They like the peace of mind of knowing it’s going to a good home.”
The new location also carries pieces of neighborhood history. The building once housed a corner drugstore — one of many that dotted Grand Avenue in the early 20th century — and later a fabric store before becoming the gallery’s new home.
The building itself holds artifacts of its previous lives, with leftover inscriptions in the basement from people who worked in the building in the past.
“It was a drugstore for a long time, and apparently it became tradition for employees to write in the basement on the wall when they quit,” Jacobson said. “There are names and dates going back to the 30s.”
“I know there’s one, Ben-Hur 45 A.D., that I think might not be legit,” he said.
Hartzler and Jacobson say preserving that sense of continuity is part of their goal.
“We just want to take good care of this place,” Hartzler said. “It feels like something that’s valuable to the community.”
If you go:
Grand Hand Gallery is located at 1338 Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Wednesday and Friday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday.
More information is available at thegrandhand.com.
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