Albany Arts Gallery Continues to Color Solano

An Albany couple, the woman a potter and the man a former San Francisco cab driver with a passion for photography, has given the arts a space to flourish on Solano Avenue for two decades.

In 1990, the woman, Susan Williams, bought Adamé Ceramics, a studio on Solano for a dozen local artists, from Susan Adamé. 

"I always had many ideas and he would always say 'No, no.' And when I said, 'What if we get it?' He said, 'Yes, yes!'" said Williams, 53.

The husband and wife believed they could run the space, renamed the Albany Arts Gallery, and they were right. Soon after taking on the venture, Michael Williams, 57, left his job as a driver and focused instead on taking pictures of the Himalaya and Sierra, as well as tending to customers.

"People appreciate it," he said of the gallery's presence in Albany. "There's a well-educated population here that pays attention to the arts, or has plenty of background in it."

The gallery, the only one of its type in the city, displays artwork ranging from paintings and photography to jewelry and pottery from about 20 artists, most of whom are based in the Bay Area.

Prices go anywhere from $18 for a handmade teacup to $10,000 for an abstract 1956 painting by the late Karl Kasten.

The couple also make and sell their own art. Susan Williams' high fire porcelain vases, bowls and mugs are popular, and her husband's photographs are among the best-selling items.

Even their son, Miles Williams, who said he grew up around art, has his work on display. A specialist in American clay finishes, the 24-year-old created the walls on which many of the art pieces are mounted.

"I was born and raised in this gallery," he said. "The demographic that we get is different than, say, the downtown Oakland art scene. But for a small town art gallery, I think it's been really nice to be around."

In light of the economic downturn, Michael Williams said he remains optimistic, explaining that the gallery has been through three recessions but has also "had some really good years."

"It's gotten better in the last several months," he said. "We can tell the trend is going the other way. People come in and they want to spend."

Susan Williams added that the recession during the early 90s "opened a door" for the couple and made buying the business possible because property prices dropped.

"We would never have been able to start this in the Bay Area if it hadn't been for the first recession," she said.

Through the decades, the family-owned gallery has remained an inviting place for artists and art aficionados alike.

Fabienne Vaughn Williams, a former Albany resident who now lives in Berkeley and is not related to the owners, said she has not gotten the "predatory" vibe in the gallery that she has felt in other art spaces.

"I like the atmosphere, the neighborhood and the owners," she said, adding that she may offer some of her own art for display. "They told me they're always looking for jewelry, so that makes me feel welcome."

Albany resident Barbara Wilcox, 53, said she has frequented the gallery for more than a decade to buy gifts for special occasions.

"You won't find something like this everywhere," she said, of a handmade glass hors d'oeuvres tray and knife she found at the gallery recently.

However, the gallery isn't only a place for browsing and buying. It's also a space for learning.

Susan, Michael and Miles Williams give classes in their areas of expertise in the studio space behind the gallery.

One former student, Inbal Sarig, 19, recalled fond memories of being able to use the ceramic wheel as a sixth grader.

"It's one of those classy, fun places that makes Solano, Solano," she said. "Not every city has an art gallery like this and it's just nice to have around here—it gives the city character."