Gallery by the Sea
Framing Stories -
Gay's Art of Preservation
In a small storefront on Sitka's main street, art comes to life. At Gallery by the Sea, every artwork is a direct reflection of Gay McCornack's vision. It’s a one-woman show where Gay selects all art displayed in the gallery and offers thoughtful framing services for locals and visitors alike.
Gay describes a dramatic and circuitous journey to Sitka. In her teens, she’d been living in Seattle and crafting knick-knacks from discarded baskets and wooden boxes. “I built things. My father had been a sculptor and taught me to weld. So, I did that, too.”
Barnard Construction Company (who would later renovate Blue Lake Dam), was hiring for a project in Issaquah, Washington. “They wanted me to do an inventory - every bolt, every paint color. With help from the engineers, I made a library of 70 big binders, and the owners were very happy.”
When Barnard came to Alaska, they wanted her to do the same thing again. “But when I got here, they weren't ready for me, and I needed a job right away. One day when walking around downtown, I saw Robertson's Gallery, and left a note on the door.”
“She taught me about framing and artwork. I knew next-to-nothing when I started.”
Martha Roberton called Gay back, hired her and trained her. “She taught me about framing and artwork. I knew next-to-nothing when I started,” recalls Gay. “She was a wonderful teacher. I’d make mistakes but she never got angry - just showed me the right way to do it.”
In 2018, Gay took over the gallery from the Robertsons and changed the name. Today, Gallery by the Sea displays carefully curated art and is a full-fledged professional framing business. Gay provides personal service to each customer - taking her time and investing her ideas and expertise.
“The framing pays the bills. That keeps the store open year round,” explains Gay. “I make suggestions on colors and textures to enhance the art. We talk about the history and the meaning of each piece. We discuss the condition and how to preserve it in one way or another.”
At the gallery, Gay showcases a diverse collection of original Alaskan art. She carries watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings, as well as reproductions and art cards. There are also vases, paddles and masks.
Artists featured at the gallery have included Sitka portrait and landscape artist Steve Lawrie, as well as Bruce Nelson from Kodiak. “Bruce knows the water and hunting. And, at the same time he's funny, hysterical,” laughs Gay. There’s also Tom Crestodina, an illustrator who fishes Sitka waters in summer, is a captain, and does cutaways of ancient sailing ships.
Gay muses, “Sometimes I miss things I have sold, and want to follow people out the door, saying ‘Please don't take it.’ Artists must feel this way, too. It’s difficult to let go of something that you’ve put your heart and soul into.”
“I make suggestions on colors and textures to enhance the art. We talk about the history and the meaning of each piece.”
Last summer, a man with a long beard came in to talk about something precious to him, “An ancient ivory crucifix - carved so meticulously,” says Gay.
“It is taken on holidays out to the public. Father Herman asked if I could create a box with beautiful fabric, so it wouldn't rock around, and with museum glass, so you don't see any reflection. He could not let me keep the piece, because of security and insurance. I could only work on it when he was present. The crucifix now lives at St. Michael's Cathedral.”
More than just a gallery, more than just a frame shop, Gallery by the Sea is a unique sanctuary where framing itself is an art, and every work tells a story.
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