The Gallery House

By Shawn Loughlin

Hidden, in a way, in plain sight, is one of Bayfield’s most intriguing art galleries. Nestled on the main floor of a former doctor’s office is Skwirl Gallery’s The Gallery House - the second phase of the storied art dealing careers of Rob and Sandra May.

With its proximity to Clan Gregor Square and Bayfield’s main street, the gallery, which is right next to the Albion Hotel, could fall in a bit of a blind spot for drivers. If you’re heading for the main street you’re looking past it on the right, and if you’re coming from the main street, you’re looking left for traffic and miss it on the right. 

 

And yet, there it stands: beautiful, modern, clean and simple, but inside lies a world of art that’s established, accomplished, amazing and, always, Canadian. Not only that, if the gallery is open and Sandra and Rob are in, you stand to have some of the most fascinating and encouraging conversations about Canadian art you’ve maybe ever had. You see, they are both deeply in love with art and consider themselves collectors first and dealers second, whereas, for some, it’s the other way around and all about the investment.

 

Their story began modestly. Just two art lovers collecting pieces of art here and there as their budget allowed. Then, in recent years, their priorities shifted. After their collection continued to grow and they had helped out a friend here or there to get some art on their walls, recently retired, they took the plunge into art dealership full-time, first opening a gallery in London, Ontario in 2017. 

 

It was then that they quickly decided to narrow their focus to Canadian art. Sandra says she has a three-box checklist for her artists: they have to be Canadian, they have to have been featured in their own museum/gallery shows and they need to have been published independently. This, she says, curates the list of artists to a degree, so when people darken the door of the Mays’ gallery, they know that whatever they see next has been vetted by people who know their way around Canadian art.

 

That’s also where the Bayfield gallery breaks away. Sandra says that the couple bought the property in 2021. They were familiar with the shores of Lake Huron, having a cottage just south of Bayfield at the time, but thought a satellite location could be perfect for newer, less-expensive art - compared to some of the big-ticket pieces they handle at their London gallery - for new collectors and younger families, all while adhering to their established principles and curation tactics.

 

Since then, the Mays have fallen in love with Bayfield, the greater Huron County area and the people of the community. All the while, the gallery’s artist roster has expanded to include some of the most talented creators from all over the country, including those from the Northwest Territories and western Canada to the Maritimes in the east and local artists like Brad Turner (Bayfield), Antony John (Sebringville) and Alexandra Couchie (London), in addition to the established artists from further afield like Norma Jean McLean (Prince Edward Island), Doug Dorkin (Nova Scotia) and more. 

 

The satellite gallery has been fun for the Mays, Sandra says, and it has enabled them to connect with younger art enthusiasts and to help them purchase art from esteemed Canadians artists at reasonable prices, but all while coming with that curation guarantee by which the Mays have always lived their art lives.

 

From May 31 to Labour Day weekend, the gallery, located at 16 The Square in Bayfield, is open from 12-5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. After Labour Day weekend, the gallery will be open on Saturdays and Sundays.

 

For more information or to peruse available art, visit online at thegalleryhouse.ca or find The Gallery House on Instagram.