Creating a scene by Paul Smart

Creating a Scene by Paul Smart

Woodstock Times - February 21, 2008

Donald Warren admits, right off the bat, that he's not a natural at running an art gallery. In fact, he says at several points during a recent interview, he's not really the sort who even likes art all that much. Even if he is now, de facto, running Willow Art Gallery on Tinker Street, next door to the Gilded Carriage."I know Generalized Markup Language," the retired former IBMer says, standing in the gallery started by his daughter, Lily Warren, last June. "When I was in the 7th grade I took a summer class in art back in my hometown of Manhattan, KS. I learned the names of the four basic Greek columns and painted a few landscapes. But then I had to do a face and I realized I don't see faces. I can't even remember what my daughter looks like now."

actress, and reporter for the Ulster County Townsman in its earlier years, as well as his daughter's ups and downs in the theater, poetry, and other creative pursuits. After his wife died, he summarizes, Lily took part of her inheritance and rented the space Willow Gallery occupies, the better to show her own work, and that of her Woodstock friends.

The art that frames the walls at Willow, named for the small community that's been a second and first home to the Warrens for over half a century now, is eclectic in styles and hanging choices, with a predominance of non-representational abstract works by several local artists. Prices tend to stick in the $1,000 to $5,000 range, with some photos going for $40, all in a bin, and a number of abstracts on paper going for $200 to $600.

Warren explains how he is offsetting his monthly "nut" expenses by starting to charge artists a hanging fee "based on an algorithm" for works' sizes and a $20 minimum that has put an emphasis on larger works. And seeking to draw artists by attending other gallery openings and contacting everyone creative he knows for helps.

He says he plans on similarly attracting "collectors" in the coming month.

Donald Warren tells how he happened to end up a gallerist. It's a rambling story that involves his wife Ruthe Sherman Warren's years as an amateur artist,

From the start, Willow Gallery tried distinguishing itself from other galleries in town by having regular weekend parties instead of occasional opening receptions. Musicians would play. The idea was to create a scene.

"She'd have parties out front on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in summer but the neighbors and landlord objected so she moved it back indoors and offered food," Warren said. "She soon had a big crowd but they were not really collectors but hangers on, hanging out to have a good time. Which became Lily's objective, as well."

Donald Warren stepped in to help out and run the gallery in January after he and his daughter took a trip to the Virgin Islands and she decided to stay in Florida for the time being. He decided it made more sense to try to make Lily's dream a break-even reality. He had time on his hands and wanted to stay in town anyway.

Warren walks around the gallery showing off the paintings he's selling... three big David Hecht abstracts, one slightly water damaged; a pair of Nicole Roskos impressionist landscape pieces, a couple of large and colorful Gerald Hopkins' pieces he says have gotten quite a bit of attention, and a whole slew of abstracts by William Gotebeski, one of which he bought and is showing in one of the gallery's corners as "a way of focusing people's attention."

To one side is a bin of gicl￩e prints of his daughter's paintings and photographs.

Warren says he shares gallery sitting time with some of the artists, and is hoping more will come by to play chess with him. He notes that, with the prices artists have put on their works, a single sale a month would "put us in the black."

Two works on easels, by Ellen Luzy and Fay Wood, stand in the room's center next to a small table with aging wine bottles and other refreshments from the parties with music that Donald has continued holding Saturday nights. At one point, he takes down a couple of paintings near a window, brought in by the artist's boyfriend as a gift of opportunity to her, and delights that one has a second painting on the back, the other a pair of panties stapled to the frame.

He talks a great deal about Lily, his daughter, and his late wife. And what he will do if "bad goes to worse."

"We have an indoor swimming pool no one's using up at our house in Willow," he says. "Maybe I'll move the art there. I was going to put a deck over it all but then started thinking it could make an interesting gallery."

He pauses. Says how much he looks forward to seeing his Lily again.

"I think how, ten years ago, I broke my leg ice skating with Lily in Italy," he says. "Five years ago I was looking after my wife in her illness. One year ago, I had no energy, and last time I was with my daughter she was the one calling for a cab because she couldn't walk any further."

He smiles.

"Maybe this will be fun," he says. "We'll at least give it a try."

He adds that, in addition to visiting the gallery at its location at 99 Tinker Street Wednesdays through Sundays, from noon - 6 p.m., with added parties Saturday nights until 8 p.m., folks can call him at 679-5319 or 679-8777 for information. Or visit his new update for Lily's website at www.willowwnds.com