PORT ANGELES — Something seems to happen when you stay awhile at Heatherton Gallery.
Co-owner Sky Heatherton, 72, stayed for three and a half years and fulfilled her lifelong dream of creating a gathering place for people first — then art.
She and her husband, Thomas East, will retire from the gallery in August. As she prepares to leave, many of Heatherton’s fondest memories go back to those times when strangers or friends stayed awhile, too.
Heatherton recalled visitors pausing to bask in East’s smooth jazz pulsating from his keyboard in the corner. And they danced — up and down the hallways without reservation.
“It was so cute,” she said.
Three winters ago, a stranger stayed awhile, curling up on the couch in the gallery to retreat from the cold.
Heatherton greeted her, but the woman only replied, “I’m so cold. Can I just get warm?”
The woman was so contorted, arms wrapped around her body, head down, that Heatherton couldn’t catch a glimpse of her face, she said. But she welcomed her to stay.
About an hour later — and this is where the memory brings Heatherton to tears — the woman stood up tall, walked right up to the desk and looked Heatherton in the eye.
“Thank you for your kindness and compassion,” the woman said.
Her boldness and beauty took Heatherton aback.
“She was so beautiful,” Heatherton said. “It almost felt like I was entertaining an angel.”
Another time, a woman asked to join East on the marimba. He agreed, not knowing quite what to expect, Heatherton said.
The woman helped to assemble the keys and then stayed three hours. The two played to the sweet tune of Frank Sinatra’s “Girl from Ipanema,” among other ballads.
Her husband told East, “She’s so happy right now.”
“You just never know what will make people happy,” Heatherton said.
Other times, it’s Heatherton’s listening ear and motherly air that compel gallery visitors to stay longer than they expected.
Heatherton tries to engage each person who walks into Heatherton Gallery with genuine conversation, and people rarely fail to return the genuinity.
“I think they see me as a safe person,” she said. “I have that motherly thing going on.”
So, they will confide in Heatherton, often to East’s amazement.
“My husband will say, ‘How did you get them to open up to you like that?’ And I say, ‘They were hungry to open up to someone.’”
Early morning walkers have caught on, she said. Heatherton Gallery has become as much a part of their daily routes as they have become a part of the gallery.
They’ll stop and chat jazz with East, sometimes bringing old records to share.
Heatherton enjoys meeting visitors from all around the world — countries such as Germany, England and India come to mind — but locals occupy a special place in her memory.
“I could almost put off fireworks [every time a local comes in],” she said. “It’s so fun to see locals supporting the arts.”
Heatherton is confident the next proprietor of Heatherton Gallery shares this same joy, she said.
Although she won’t disclose the name quite yet, that announcement awaits those who attend Heatherton and East’s retirement party and potluck in the gallery at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11. The party is open to the public.
“I believe the person who will be working here will have the same heart as we have,” she said. “She will improve the gallery by tenfold.”
The new owner envisions the gallery as a hub of creatives: artisans, storytellers, writers, painters and children, Heatherton said.
Although Heatherton and East could have turned over ownership of the gallery to two interested Californians, they opted to keep the gallery in local hands. The new owner is well-acquainted with Heatherton, having frequently displayed her art there.
After Heatherton and East pass off the keys, they plan to devote more time to their own art, she said.
Their home confirms this.
Heatherton and East have already shifted around furniture to transform their living room into a gallery and their dining room into East’s piano studio.
“I have so many paintings in my mind that haven’t been put to canvas yet,” she said.
Heatherton hopes to paint Port Angeles sunrises — what she calls “God’s paintbrush on the morning” — and bring the creatures of the Salish Sea to life with her palette.
“I want to touch them and feel them,” she said.
East also looks forward to practicing his craft. His jazz group, Blue Skyz, will play for the last time as a complete group during the retirement ceremony Aug. 11. After that, East will refine his individual skills.
Heatherton and East plan to relish retirement in Port Angeles, only departing for a short while to explore other towns surrounding the Salish Sea.
“This is an amazing part of the world. There’s no way we would ever move away,” she said, adding, “Besides, I’ve made too many friends.”
Perhaps something happens when you stay awhile in Port Angeles, too.
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Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.
Co-owners Sky Heatherton and spouse, Thomas East.
