The Leigh Gallery certainly carries an eclectic mix—from the glitzy pottery work of Norbert White, who doubles as a Sidetrack bartender, to items from 81-year-old photographer Alvin Stortz.
There also are hand-bent wire sculptures of Kelly Courtney, architectural pieces from Brian Tilton, and works from Grace Cole, arguably the gallery's most famous artist.
And let's not forget the oil paintings of Ann Powell, Thom Bierdz ( who was once on TV's The Young and the Restless ) , Eric Chavez and others.
'We have something for everyone, with every possible medium: acrylics, oils, water-color, pastel, sculpture ( bronze and glass ) , photography, pottery, hand-turned wood and more,' said Jean Leigh, owner of The Leigh Gallery ( 3306 N. Halsted ) , a lesbian-owned business located in the heart of Boystown.
'My joke is that if the [ local ] boys have mom and dad coming to visit … instead of leaving mom and dad in front of the bathhouse, they have something pretty to look at.'
Leigh's joke, though, is reality as the charming gallery is a beautiful mix of local work. Only about five percent of Leigh's hundreds of pieces come from artists not based in the Chicagoland area. And about 10 of the 60 artists offered at Leigh are gay, which she illustrates during Northalsted Market Days with the traditional rainbow flag on items from openly-gay artists.
The Leigh Gallery celebrates its second year in March.
'I really wanted to be in this area. It was a brand-new building and people just came in in droves. It's just something pretty to look at,' said Leigh, 46, who grew up in suburban Park Ridge and graduated from Maine South High School.
Since The Leigh Gallery opened, several other artists' galleries also have surfaced in the area, including one on the same block. No worries, Leigh said; the more the merrier.
'No one is even remotely close to each other [ in content ] ,' she said.
The Leigh Gallery customers are as diverse as the content inside, ranging from gay leathermen to straight mothers with their strollers.
Products range from pottery pieces at $25 up to sculptures for $5,000.
'Everyone is really happy when they're in here,' said Leigh, whose lone assistant is Joe Canup, who doubles as a photographer and bartender at Touché. 'We have lots of stuff that makes people's homes pretty and pleasant. I want people in the area to know and appreciate the fact that there's good art in the area.'
The Leigh Gallery regularly welcomes artists into the store—some of whom are announced, while others are unannounced.
The Leigh Gallery is not affected by the mass of humanity outside its doors during the annual Gay Pride Parade. But not so during Market Days, which included a tent outside featuring pottery throwing and a sampling of the gallery. 'I thought I would be dead [ during Market Days ] , but we did fabulously well,' Leigh said. 'I was so pleasantly surprised how we did during Market Days; I can't wait for the 2007 [ event ] .'
NOTE: Denise Lesiak and Jean Leigh are two of the many successful lesbians running businesses in Boystown. Lesiak runs Shirts Illustrated on Broadway, while Leigh operates The Leigh Gallery on Halsted.
They live in Rogers Park along with their dog, an animal they got from the Animal House Shelter in the Illinois town of Huntley. These days, the dog—named Huntley—tends to spend her days in the back area of Shirts Illustrated.
Lesiak and Leigh have been partners for 19 years.
