AN ART GALLERY WITH SOUL (AND MUSIC)

It was a sad day in 2018 when the owners of Art & Soul Gallery at 247 E. Main Street announced that they were closing the store and moving on. The gallery had been a long-time favorite during First Friday Art Walk and it displayed a wide range of local artistic talent on its walls.

To the rescue came Peter Alexander Stone and Kevin Yell, who bought the business in December 2018 while adding Art & Soul Framing to the title and also serving as the headquarters for Peter’s livelihood as a music teacher.
“I have been visiting Ashland for 35 years, ever since high school, in order to see theater at OSF and the Cabaret Theatre,” Peter said. “I’ve been a picture framer for over 20 years. Taking over the Art & Soul Gallery and adding Art & Soul Framing to the mix was a big part of the decision to move. I am also a musician who works in both the musical theater and yoga music genres. My yoga music endeavors are perfectly in tune with the ‘Soul’ of Art & Soul.”
Established in 1998 by seven female artists, Art & Soul Gallery is home to the original work of 20+ curated local and regional artists from Oregon and Northern California. These award-winning two-dimensional artists offer an expansive collection of watercolors, oil paintings, pastels, and mixed media to beautify your life and your home.
“We also proudly display jewelry, ceramics, textiles and woodworking created by carefully chosen artisans,” Peter said. “The gallery is a tranquil place to appreciate fine art, and we also host events for renewal of the soul and to encourage acceptance in our community. As a music teacher, I come with decades of experience as a composer and performer. I also offer home concerts, accompaniment for yoga classes, and private music lessons. My devotional music promotes a deeper sense of calm and clarity in the lives of those who experience it.”
He’s also proud of a musical, “Can’t Say I Do,” he wrote with his partner, Kevin, on the subject of gay marriage. “It has never really gone anywhere in part because we finished it in 2007 and then in 2008 the landscape of gay marriage changed so drastically that the musical was immediately out of date,” he said. “My point is that two people can write a musical together, remain friends, and have a very solid relationship for becoming business partners.”
Peter also brings his skills as a master picture framer to Art & Soul Framing, a custom frame shop located within the gallery. A collaborative conduit for beauty, he facilitates a finished product that inspires joy and reflects your personal interpretation of the art you choose.
Whether you are looking for art to beautify your home, custom framing to enhance the display of a piece you love, or music to soothe your soul, Peter invites you to stop by the gallery anytime to experience all that Art & Soul Gallery has to offer.
You can also view gallery pieces on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, in addition to their website, artandsoulgallery.com. For more info, call 541-488-9006.