For the last 12 years, Velvet da Vinci has occupied the historic former Daini Brothers furniture workshop on Polk, along with neighbor Cheese Plus. While artistic home furnishings may no longer be made in the space, the gallery is carrying on its legacy by selling another type of functional, wearable art: jewelry.
As owner Mike Holmes explains, Velvet da Vinci is both a jewelry retail establishment and a fine art gallery, showcasing artist jewelry and craft-based sculpture. "What we are trying to show here is that jewelry can be something beyond gold and diamonds," Holmes told us. "It's jewelry, but it's also fine art that's functional."
Brooch sculpture by Seulgi Kwon.
The gallery features work from around the world, and Holmes loves to show pieces that may not look like wearable jewelry at first glance. One example is a piece by Seoul-based Seulgi Kwon that appears to be made out of glass. In actuality, Kwon uses silicone to create her accessories, giving them a more natural and organic feel.
Holmes said he's drawn to work that is either humorous or political, and ultimately nontraditional in nature. (He once curated a show at the gallery, centered around the Iraq war, that focused solely on anti-war medals.) Because of the diversity of his exhibitions, several museums have acquired pieces from the gallery, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Holmes' jewelry isn't all ultra-high-end, or destined to be displayed behind a glass case. Many of his clients are regular people living in the area, looking for something one-of-a-kind to own.
"It's interesting being a part of a community," he said. "It's the part of business that you don't often think about, knowing that some of your customers have also become your friends." One of his favorite customers is celebrated local drag performer Juanita MORE.
Though most galleries have a high percentage of online sales, at Velvet da Vinci, "It's only about 10 percent," Holmes said. "We're featured in several guide books, including The Rough Guide, so we get customers that specifically come in to visit us. We also get a lot of people from LA that are driving up to see us." Online, the shop sees customers from around the country and the globe. "I spend a lot of time at the post office and a lot of time packing and shipping items," Holmes said. "I recently shipped a sculpture to Wales."
"3 Earrings" exhibition.
Holmes hasn't always had his gallery in Russian Hill. He first opened up shop in Hayes Valley in 1991, "back when the freeway was still there," he told us. "There was this long retail corridor there, that wasn't yet developed like it is now. And we looked for the cheapest place we could find."
The gallery did well in Hayes Valley for 13 years, and Holmes believes that he was one of the first businesses in that neighborhood to help revitalize the area. But as the neighborhood developed, the rent became too high, and he was forced to look elsewhere. Polk Street "had that same feeling as Hayes did at the time," he said, and he's grateful to be a part of the community.
Velvet da Vinci presents a new curated show about every six weeks. The current exhibition, entitled "3 Earrings," features over 50 different designers; it runs until May 8th. The gallery is open 11am–6pm Tuesday–Saturday, and 11am–4pm Sunday.
