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Grand Hand Gallery shows and sells fine craft, primarily by Minnesotan artists. 

Ann Ruhr Pifer shows more passion for her work than the average art gallery owner.

Sitting at her desk in the back office of 

on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Ruhr Pifer proffers tea poured from a pot by Dick Cooter, whose work she sells. It was her love for his pottery, she says, that got her into this business.

Ruhr Pifer used her business and marketing experience to create a sales outlet in the cities for artisans from around the state. And her experience has paid off; since its opening in 2004, Ruhr Pifer has expanded Grand Hand twice. While the recession has forced many galleries to shut their doors, and others are reporting losses of 30-60% , she says her gallery has only seen "slowed growth."

While Ruhr Pifer doesn't like to distinguish between "fine art" and "craft," she admits that selling wood carvings, pottery and weavings comes with its own particular challenges.

Items for sale at the Grand Hand are typically much less expensive than those in a fine art gallery. As a result,

Ruhr Pifer says her business is "halfway between a fine art gallery and a Target;"

she sells one-of-a-kind items, but she has to do so at a very high volume in order to break even.

Warren MacKenzie, Nancy Gipple and Kinji Akagawa at champagne brunch for American Craft Council conference attendees, October, 2009

In addition to its main room, the Grand Hand Gallery also features a gallery space dedicated to highlighting the work of particular artists, and providing a more in-depth look at their particular craft. Ruhr Pifer says it's just another means of promoting the artists.

Ruhr Pifer keeps busy getting national attention for her artists, either through advertising or by bringing Smithsonian "craft study" tour groups to town. When the American Craft Council held its annual conference in the Twin Cities, she helped organize a tour of local art centers and studios.

In conjunction with the conference, Ruhr Pifer organized a particularly high profile exhibition, featuring the work of potter Warren MacKenzie and sculptor Kinji Akagawa, along with their wives, who are both prominent fiber artists.

Ruhr Pifer says she couldn't be happier that the ACC has since moved its offices from Manhattan to Minneapolis.

Ruhr Pifer is also helping organize "American Craft Week" set for October, which is  meant to serve as a tribute to the American craftsman.

Grand Hand Gallery is located at 619 Grand Avenue in St. Paul.

Arts and Culture

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Ann Ruhr Pifer ditched her banking career to open an art gallery; now local artists are benefitting from her financial expertize.

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