“I care about collections, and have a hard time parting with things sometimes,” admits Chris Morse, co-owner along with his wife, Sheila Morse, of the Granary Gallery, the North Water Gallery, and the Field Gallery.
“There are paintings I’ve sold four or five times over the years that, in some cases, are ones that I would love to get back. I’m often reminded that I’m an art dealer, not an art collector. But I’m an art dealer who also collects.”
You might think this would be a drawback in his job, but speaking with Morse, it is clear that his passion for art is matched by his care for the artists he represents, and the staff who work alongside him.
Art has always been part of Morse’s life, he says. “I was the dorky kid. When we’d go on field trips to the MFA, I’d actually look at the paintings and enjoy them.”
He continues, “My parents were eclectic collectors. And I was in a museum environment whenever I was at my grandparents’ house.” He also worked alongside his grandmother, painting with her in the studio. “When I was 7, 8, 9 years old, she taught me about perspective and light sources. Like, when you look at a tree, there’s a warm side and a cool side. She taught me how to look at art, which created a foundation for me.
“I also credit my dad for my collecting stamps. I really liked the artwork. The commemorative stamps in the ’70s and ’80s were really beautiful pieces of art.”
Morse was also introduced to the Vineyard when he was young. Born in Hartford, Conn., and living in Attleboro as a child, his parents bought a cottage in Oak Bluffs in the mid-’80s, giving him the opportunity to spend summers here.
His introduction to the Granary began the summer he graduated from high school, when he moved to the Vineyard with three friends: “I was part of the painting crew for Ernie Boch’s house in Edgartown. One of the guys on the painting crew happened to be the bartender for the Granary Gallery Sunday weekend receptions, and could bring friends to see it.” Morse was immediately intrigued.
In 1987, he became their bartender for special events. “I came early, stayed late, and enjoyed talking to the artists and patrons, and the then owners, Brandon White and Bruce Blackwell. They both noticed my interest, and had me working a few days a week selling art, cleaning the back room, shipping, packing, and polishing.”
Morse went off to college from 1986 to 1990, and although he was studying business administration, art was in his veins: “I returned every summer to work in the gallery, and took every art course my college offered: color theory, art history, design, and basic drawing. I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of art.” He also assisted with an Andrew Wyeth exhibition at the de Young Museum. “So, I had art opportunities. I didn’t know that that’s where I’d be making my livelihood. But I’m very happy it’s turned out this way.”
The turning point actually occurred a few years after graduating: “I was on the Vineyard for one last hurrah, which coincided with when Bruce and Brandy were ready to retire.” In 1996, Chris and Sheila took the plunge. “We put our heads together to figure out how to make it a career.” They bought the gallery, and lived in the apartment above for the first five years.
Twenty-one years ago, the owners of the Field Gallery in West Tisbury approached them. Morse saw it as an opportunity: “I thought it would be fun to have a more contemporary space. I’ve always loved it. There are photographs of me dancing in front of the sculptures at eight years old.”
Then, in 2007, the couple acquired what is now the North Water Gallery in Edgartown, then called the Gardner-Colby Gallery.
All three of the galleries have a distinct voice, and little overlap of artists. The Granary stays open all year round, and all three managers, who have been with him for more than 20 years, work there in the winter when the other locations are closed: “I couldn’t do this without the people who work with me and Sheila.”
A collector at heart, Morse is concerned with creating an environment for the art on the wall. “I’m interested in accessories, antiques, and other things that aren’t yet at Pottery Barn. I love going to estate sales when properties are changing hands, and having a chance to acquire things that complement the artwork, such as laying fabrics out next to the artwork. It humanizes the art, which makes it more approachable.”
He continues, “I like that artwork means something to me and other people. It means more when you know the story of why it was created, where it was created, or by whom. I think that led me to be greatly interested in the community of our Island. There have been so many great creative people here over the past 150 years.
“I’m proud of the relationships I’ve had with artists, in some cases, for 10, 15, or 20 years, and of working closely with them. It’s really gratifying when their success and popularity grow.”
Morse smiles, “We keep raising the bar. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but we do serious things, and I think we do them well.”
Check out the Granary, North Water, and Field galleries at granarygallery.com, northwatergallery.com, and fieldgallery.com.
