LEVEE GALLERY HAS CLOSED For Marty Stanley's artwork, please call Linda Korth: PHONE: 916.849.8532 For historical information only... Established in 1988, Levee Gallery is a spacious and comfortable fine art showroom featuring owner and artist Marty Stanley's collection of original paintings, limited edition prints, posters and related published items. As a dedicated showplace for Stanley's work, Levee Gallery is the sole location where his original paintings are available. The gallery also serves as the headquarters for a fine art publishing division and is complimented by an in-house frame shop. The gallery's large storefront windows and riverside location, offer a wide view of Walnut Grove's waterfront on the Sacramento River, an ideal setting for showcasing the artist's regional artwork. LOCATION Levee Gallery is centrally located in Historic Walnut Grove on the east side of the river upstream from the town's classic bastille cantilever bridge. It sits nestled among the cluster of roadside storefronts in close proximity to Alma's Cafe, the town's popular breakfast restaurant. Walnut Grove is a small town divided by a river. It is ten miles north of Isleton on Highway 160 and six miles west of Interstate 5 by way of Walnut Grove / Thornton Road. The town's amenities include a 300' modern guest dock for boaters, a host of restaurants, bars and grocery stores, bait shop, fueling station, several gift shops, cottages and a wine merchant. FINE ART PUBLISHING It was 1979 when Marty first discovered printmaking. In a collaborative effort with fellow artist and close friend Chris Spencer, they produced a hand-pulled, one color serigraph poster. Marty became so intrigued by the process, he modified his studio for printmaking and embarked on an ambitious undertaking with the production of his first collection of limited edition prints, titled the Delta Suite. Upon returning from a trip to the Mediterranean in 1986, Stanley began producing another series of limited edition hand-pulled serigraphs. After experiencing some technical difficulties with the process, he signed a contract with a fine art publishing company in Southern California and completed the series. It was the experience of working with a large publishing business that enabled Stanley to expand his business to include fine art publishing. A year after Marty opened the Levee Gallery, he began publishing limited edition offset reproductions of his Delta paintings. Four images were published as offset lithographs. Then, in 1999 he began using the digital printmaking process known as Giclée Printing. He felt the new process produced a more dynamic print with better color saturation with the look and feel of an original. From the very beginning, the artist's primary goal has been to provide the best quality reproduction available and to produce limited editions with real value by limiting edition sizes to 500 or less. His edition sizes range from 75 to a high of 500. Marty was actively involved in every step of the process to insure the integrity of each piece. At this time, there are nearly two dozen images available in print. More recently, he added fine art calendars to the list of products. FRAMING Fine art prints are very delicate and require special care and handling. The image is printed on paper made from 100% cotton fibers and with proper archival framing, they can survive many generations. Our limited edition prints are carefully assembled and framed using the latest archival materials at a very competitive cost. We are aware of the high cost associated with custom framing and have adjusted our prices to make it affordable to leave the gallery with a framed, fine art piece. Prints and posters are available unframed or framed as displayed. Most of the artwork is available for purchase off the wall if the customer finds our framing suitable to their taste. One may also select a custom frame solution to compliment their decor. A minimum of two weeks is required for custom framing. We offer a full line of paper and archival matting, a unique collection of frame samples and the usual options for glazing. We are no longer limiting custom framing to artwork purchased at the gallery. PERSONNEL With a visit to the gallery, you will most likely be greeted by our cheerful and helpful manager, Donna Hardwick. She wears nearly all the hats. Donna will be happy to assist your needs and answer your questions. LEVEE GALLERY HISTORY Under the light of a full moon on April 2, 1988, Levee Gallery celebrated its inaugural opening along the Sacramento River in Ryde, California. The business symbolized a new beginning in Marty's life after experiencing the unimaginable loss from a fire less than a year earlier. Marty's home, studio and nearly the entire body of work from his extended stay on Santorini Greece in 1985 & 86 were consumed by fire. The fire forced Marty's artistic life into a new direction. During a brief period of soul searching, a suggestion from a friend to open a gallery was gaining momentum. The availability of an old vacant roadside hotel in Ryde, coupled with an offer for temporary lodging in the River Mansion, reinforced the idea and a lease was signed. Something magical happened during that time. After six months of remodeling the old hotel and transforming it into a gallery, Marty began focusing his sights on his surrounding native landscape for inspiration. All the frustration experienced in his earlier attempts to capture the Delta had disappeared. Maybe it was the many months of painting watercolors from life on the islands in the Mediterranean or perhaps a sense of desperation that came with experiencing such profound change and loss. However, this time around, the Delta waters flowed effortlessly from his brush onto one painting after another. Like new growth sprouting from the ashes, a fresh perspective on life somehow gifted the artist with a higher level of awareness and sensitivity to the subtle sublime nature of the valley's wetland that he found previously unattainable. Levee Gallery was born with a rally of help from friends and patrons. Financial backing was provided by Ed and Linda Dutra, now deceased. The name was derived from the obvious, a gallery resting atop a levee. At it's inception, Levee Gallery was to function as a showplace representing local talent with revolving shows and a full service frame shop. However, after a couple of years, it was the local economy and the gallery's new clientele that helped to define a successful business plan. The demand was so strong for Marty's work, the gallery eventually became a showcase for his paintings only. As the market for his Delta paintings continued to expand, a need for reproductions became apparent. In 1989, Levee Gallery began publishing limited edition prints and poster reproductions of his Delta images. In the years that followed, corporate commissions, semiannual exhibits and the publishing of new prints were the mainstay until the summer of 1993. The artist's intense longing for a return to the Greek Islands brought about a temporary closing of the Gallery. After a successful three month painting trip in the islands, Marty pursued the idea of running a gallery out of his home on Steamboat Slough. One exhibit was held there in 1994, featuring the Return To Paradise collection of originals. Soon after, the reality of running a gallery in a residence gave way to relocating back in Ryde. The business remained there until the current location became available in Walnut Grove in 2001. (Click on images for larger views) top ^

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