Orchard Custom Frame & Gift

This is a small, unassuming gallery and frame shop and most of you have probably never heard of Orchard Gallery because as far as I know it has never been written about in any of the local press.
Part of that is because the owners, a very nice and unassuming Korean couple, don’t seem to be too concerned with the press. As far as I know, they don’t even send out press releases (at least to me), although they do participate in the monthly Bethesda Art Walks.
But they are doing something right that seems to have escaped most galleries these days: they are selling a lot of artwork.
When I first walked into Orchard a few years ago, I was expecting to find the usual mediocre art that one finds on the walls of most art venues that rely on framing as a business. I was pleasantly surprised not only by the quality of the artwork (at the time they were showing a recent MICA MFA graduate whose name escapes me now), but also by the fact that the framing business does not interfere with the art gallery space at all. It’s a clean, minimalist art space.
The owners were very nice and warm, and were genuinely surprised when I identified myself (they had no idea who I was anyway), described what I do, and then told them that I really liked the work. I also noted that there were a lot of red dots.
Over the next couple of years, every time that I find myself around Norfolk Avenue, I drop by into Orchard to check out their shows. I haven’t been WOW’d every time, but I’ve never been disappointed. It is clear that the owners have a particular taste and sensibility that is working for them. And I’ve always seen a lot of red dots.
What’s even more refreshing is that in these times of austere fiscal environments, when galleries are closing all over the nation, and where they turn away new artists by the droves, Orchard’s website still says: «We encourage local and emerging artists to contact us for details on our monthly gallery exhibits.»
Orchard, my kudos to you. Keep doing whatever you are doing to put original artwork on peoples’ walls.