In 1998, Kim Hostler and Juliet Burrows opened their first gallery in Tribeca, transitioning through the years to their current space on East 10th Street, a destination for architects and designers. The gallery introduced the masters of 20th Century Nordic design to a new audience, including famed ceramicist Axel Salto and cabinetmakers such as Finn Juhl and Axel Einar Hjorth. Twenty-five years later, the program has expanded to include a diverse slate of contemporary designers, though the backbone of the roster remains in Scandinavia, with a special focus on female creatives and studio ceramics.
Last night, Hostler and Burrows put their hard work on display at an anniversary party complete with champagne flutes and a crammed storefront. A mix of artists, passersby, and friends of the gallery mingled in the art-filled space, deftly navigating around Kathy Erteman vases overflowing with foliage and Torbjørn Kvasbø sculptures sprouting from the floor.
Some of the foot traffic was due to the Neighborhood Gallery Walk, a bi-annual event organized by the galleries situated in the 10th St. area. On a walk that included the neighboring Bernd Goeckler, Maison Gerard, and Demisch Danant among others, Hostler Burrows stood out for the thrum of its party, regularly spilling out onto the brownstone-lined street outside. The event has recently partnered with Female Design Council, an organization which promotes and supports female-led design spaces and practices.
The gallery’s 10th Street location is now joined by a Los Angeles outpost and art-focused HB381 spot in Tribeca. Jasmin Anoschkin’s “Supercharged Lollipop Valley” is currently occupying the latter space, with “JAKOB JØRGENSEN X ROBERT RYMAN” in Los Angeles.
Online, the gallery’s founding duo profess their desire to “[build] longstanding relationships, both with the artists whose work they promote as well as the design clientele and community at large.” As they rounded out 25 years, the fruition of that mission was fully on display, as a collection of design lovers new and old joined the pair in celebrating the gallery.
