by Giovanna Marcus, 2/24/10
The art that Jo Gallaugher has in her gallery has two prerequisites. One is that all pieces are made with predominantly recycled material, and the other criteria is that this fact is not obvious upon first inspection.
Matter! Gallery is Olympia’s newest art venue, open since September. Of particular interest to the gallery’s mission is that the the work is not craft based. “I don’t want people coming in here and saying ‘I could do that.’” A former high-falutin CEO and businesswoman turned art dealer, Gallaugher’s newest venture is filled with fine art pieces that balance perfectly between artistic and reclaimed.
Most of the artists she works with are full-time artists. She currently has 80 total artists from Washington and Oregon (with 2 exceptions), including 22 Olympia artists. That number is anticipated to grow rapidly, since Gallaugher is contacted by a new, interested eco-artist daily.
The surprisingly large space is located on 5th Avenue between Capitol Way and Columbia St. Unassuming from the outside, a large green bag lady sculpture named Green Belalina is surrounded by bubble wrap and sits below a glittery chandelier made of depression glass punch cups, sea glass, and wire. She beckons all passersby with a sign that reads “All The Art Here is Green.”
Inside the gallery, the display stands are upturned wine barrels, hollowed out vintage RCA televisions, and salvaged wood sculptures that look like something out of a Tim Burton film. A Studio One reggae song from the 1960s plays, while the owner explains that the walls are painted with the pigmented clay that gives off negative ions. 
Towards the back of Matter! is a vertical “green wall” of plants, complete with internal watering system to sustain the live sculpture. It was installed by Christian Iverson who grew up in Olympia but has migrated to Portland. Spider plants and ferns cascade from the ceiling to floor, lit by a skylight.
Much of the art, and even the structural components of the gallery itself, is designed for everyday function, succeeding to incorporate art into everyday life. The front desk is the old hull of a sailboat, a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship that combines reclaimed wood, poured concrete, and rebar.
One outlet is occupied by vintage car taillight that now functions as nightlight, and I spot a mod-looking end table that is later revealed to be fashioned from two cooking woks.
The eco-art movement has coined the term “upcycling,” a phrase that denotes the process of converting waste materials into objects of higher value than the original item was worth. A prime example of this is Ryan Mock’s sculpture, “Winged Woman,” which uses 7,000 wing nuts welded together to create a graceful abstract upwards form, and sells for $5,500. For more budget-minded art lovers, also available for purchase is that silver spoon that you weren’t born with, refashioned and affixed to a key ring for a mere $8, courtesy of Jack Hartman.
Other notable objects d’art are two-foot-high mums and calla lilies made of dumbbells and melted Jerry Vale phonographic LP. Curios box dioramas by Jerry Williamson incorporate music sheets, birch wood, feathers, rocks, and feature taxidermic crows that stoically eye the viewer. Here you will also find mosaic art with a nod to Gustav Klimpt by local artist Jennifer Kuhns.
Don O’Conner (who painted the mural on the famed Roslyn Diner of television’s Northern Exposure) uses holographic vinyl, deconstructed candy wrappers, delaminated CDs, mylar, insides of potato chip bags, and sparkle paint to make texturized Day-Glo montages.
The gallery itself has monumental texture. While exploring one will find a variety of styles: from organic wood sculptures and canvases made from reused sail cloth and marine paint to a mandala weaved with cassette tape or reclaimed glass sun catchers with dangling ornamental soda can tabs. The art changes daily, making the gallery green in terms of recycled material, but also very much alive in a living, breathing way. ◙
Matter! Gallery is located at 113 5th Ave SW, 360-943-1760, www.matteroly.com. Tuesday-Saturday 11-6 PM, Sunday 12-5 PM, Monday by appointment.