Trotter&Sholer

Floor-to-ceiling windows flood this Suffolk Street storefront with light, and the energy flows both ways. The gallery feels like an extension of the sidewalk, art and everyday life separated only by a pane of glass. This gallery has a way of closing the distance between what’s on the wall and the life just outside it.

Inside, the work is warm and feels handmade. We’ve seen immersive installations made out of discarded objects found in Detroit neighborhoods rebirthed into wonder-filled new worlds. Rainbow-colored paintings on cardboard of people caught in private moments of joy. Ceramic table settings that feel like Alice in Wonderland by way of an upstate craft fair.

WARNING: You might walk out wanting to take an art class, or finally start that project you’ve been turning over in your head. And a sense that creating something — or creating something of yourself — just got a little more possible.

Jenna Ferrey started Trotter & Sholer as a pop-up in 2019. It’s named after her grandmothers, Ruth Trotter and Elva Sholer. She holds a PhD in Religious Diversity and Multiculturalism from the University of Calgary and a Master's in Art Business from Sotheby's Institute of Art. When the pandemic hit in 2020, reduced rents and a craving for physical experiences pushed her to open the gallery. Her Norfolk Terrier, Birdie, is the greeter at the door.