Keys to the Margolis Gallery

Last week's interesting email: “Susan, three weeks ago I received the keys to an empty gallery.” Of course I wanted to know more! 

The answer, photographer Richard Margolis opened a gallery in Thousand Island Park, satisfying a long-time wish. He said he discovered the north country 40 years ago when he photographed the Thousand Island Bridge and spent a couple of days in DeWolf State Park. He had an ice cream at the Guzzle and walked around "The Park," which he described as being like a Norman Rockwell village.

He and his wife returned several times with their children, and then they found a cottage – one he said they could afford. They decided it was the perfect place to spend summers. Since then, he has photographed boathouses (that one is a favourite for sure), dream boats, and islands. Then in the winter, he makes prints in his Rochester studio, many of which will be found this summer at the new gallery. 

When friend Will Salisbury had an exhibit at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton, Richard offered to provide prints of the big pieces that could not be included. Then, he suggested doing a little catalog, which morphed into the book Will Salisbury – Sculptor. Of course, that book will be available in the gallery this summer, too. (See - The Book and Sculptor, by R. Margolis, June 2020)

Richard is now working on another book project and is submitting proposals to publishers for Stories About Books – a collection of essays by friends and colleagues that describe why books matter and how they changed the writers’ lives. Several of the prints in the gallery are from that project.

So yes, those keys are not only important to Richard, but to all of us as we look forward to viewing his new space. 

For those far away, I am happy to report Richard often posts on Instagram and can be reached by email at RMARS@mac.com.

By Susan W. Smith, info@thousandislandslife.com