Last week, on a gray, overcast Seattle morning, I stopped in to visit Hannah Alex-Glasser, store owner of Driftwood Modern. Opening its doors in downtown Edmonds 5 months ago, Driftwood Modern is a charming gallery and shop filled with wonderfully curated mid-century furnishings, accessories, and artwork. Hannah’s shop is as warm, lovely, and sincere as she is. As an artist who has worked with clay for 26 years, Hannah displays vibrant mid-century abstract artwork as well as her own clay sculpture pieces. A piece that is particularly worth noting, and one that Hannah is honored to display, is an original Kenneth Callahan, one of the four Northwest Mystics. The Northwest Mystics were inspired by the Northwest’s Native American and Asian influence to create art as a response to the world’s events around them.
Hannah and I sat down to chat with a Noguchi light sculpture glowing nearby, radiating warmth on the gray day. Hannah states, “I come from a background as a lifelong artist. I started as a professional dancer, and I have been working for over two decades as a clay artist. I have always had an interest in older everyday things, the objects in our living spaces that have beauty and integrity. 5 years ago I started a business endeavor in a small way that has grown and become increasingly focused on the art and design of the mid-20th century Modern period. I think that that era carries certain spirit that is quite pertinent today. My interest here is to offer pieces that bring beauty in our lives — that’s also good for our well-being!”
Hannah explains that choosing pieces for her shop is like beach combing. “You walk along and the piece just speaks to you. Going through art pieces is like this as well.” Hannah works with designers in San Diego and one of her goals is to not only become a source for local designers, but to create lasting relationships with them as well. Hannah relates, “It means something to me that someone will come in and also love the piece. I love the work and I love finding it — sometimes it has gone unnoticed. I love bringing these works of merit back into the spotlight.”
Next time you are in downtown Edmonds, make sure to say hello and visit this lovely shop of delightfully curated mid-century art and items.
Driftwood Modern is located on 5th Avenue in downtown Edmonds and is open Thursday through Saturday 11-6 and Sundays 12-5, and other times by appointment.
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