California Sisters open gallery in Ramona
Just in time for holiday gift buying, Pat Wick and Jessica Gilbert, known as the California Sisters will open a gift shop in Ramona Nov. 25.
This gallery, in the newly refurbished historic barbershop building, 207 North D, on Ramona's Main Street, will feature the sisters' new book, "Another Day in the Country," a 140-page, hardbound, full-color coffee table book, with stories and photographs from the Heartland.
Another attraction will be Wick's watercolor paintings and photographs inspired by the surrounding countryside and some choice art work done by her students at Butler Community College in Marion. Different styles of fine art will be featured in the gallery from one month to another. Local artist, Yvonne Brunner, will display a sampling of her unique line of jewelry.
A second book which Wick recently wrote, "A Saint Among Us," the life and stories of Father Kapaun of Pilsen also will be available at the Barbershop Gallery.
"The Barbershop Gallery is a celebration of country creativity," said Wick, "I love painting old chairs and you will eventually see some of those on display, too."
Congressman Moran will be in Ramona to officially open the Barbershop Gallery at 10 a.m. Nov. 25 and to present the city of Ramona with a "Building Better Communities Award."
"We're inviting the whole town," said Congressman Moran's staff contact when they called the California Sisters to let them know they were receiving an award.
"Do you realize how small of a town Ramona is?" Jessica responded, laughing. With this in mind, the girls have enlarged the invitation to their opening reception to include the whole county!
There will be a reception following the official opening of The Barbershop Gallery at the Ramona Café (just two doors down the street from the gallery). This is a great opportunity to have your copy of "Another Day in the Country" autographed, as well as shake hands with Congressman Moran — if you're there early.
In its heyday, this gallery building housed the town barbershop where Glen "Curley" Bernhardt held court. When Reign and Marlene Anduss bought the grocery store building in 2000 and turned it into the Ramona Cafe they also received the former barbershop building in the transaction.
Reign and Marlene later gave the building (which had been used only for storage) to the California Sisters because they knew the girls were interested in saving the barbershop because of its historical significance in Ramona.
When Pat and Tooltime Tim began the restoration — the floor was gone, the electrical wiring had to be redone, and the ceiling was falling down. They've added some additional walls, track lighting, and plan to have a permanent barbershop display in the front window.
"This building is a work in progress," Pat said. "We had to keep it standing because it holds so many memories for so many people. We're looking for an old barber's chair — in the meantime, Curly's customers are sitting on a stool."
Regular gallery hours for the holiday season will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, when the café is open, or by appointment for groups.
