93The opening chapter of this gallery’s captivating story first began during an era of horse drawn transportation, silver prospecting, and even before telephones arrived in Park City. Today’s Meyer Gallery found at 305 Main Street was the original site for the historic First National Bank. An ornate vault once holding Park City’s famed silver miners’ fortunes can still be seen right inside the door. As you enter under elegant arches featuring original etched glass transom windows imported from France in the late 1890s, it’s easy to visualize the rich history that would later inspire generations of talented artists.

A new page of Park City history was written there in 1965, when a local social worker and a nurse, Darrell and Gerri Meyer, opened the growing town’s first art gallery—Meyer Gallery. Beginning by offering native pottery and a few matted watercolors, this family business represents the dawning of today’s prestigious Park City art district of more than 20 area galleries.

Today the gallery’s lasting commitment to finding and exhibiting extraordinary artistic talent remains a welcomed constant. Susan Meyer, curator of Meyer Gallery, fondly remembers her warm introduction to the art world. As a child, she and her brother (who currently leads Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe) spent a great deal of time with their parents at the homes and studios of the artists represented in their gallery.

Whether on an Indian reservation finding new pottery, in an artist’s studio, or at a local art auction, her parents understood the value of their relationships with artists from the very beginning. This made a lasting difference in the way Meyer still operates her successful business today.
“It was really a part of the normalcy of my childhood. I realized years later that it was not something to be taken lightly. Developing relationships with my artists is still the favorite part of my work.”

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