When walking into Gallery 10 you are welcomed by art, clothing and home items. The store is unique because of the quality of products and by the warm smile of owner Colleen James.

It’s a smile that has consistently greeted customers for the last 17 years.

“She is so compassionate, loving, generous, talented and always has a positive outlook on everything,” said her daughter Michele Smith, who also owns a business – Tanbark Marine on Lopez. “Her unconditional love has guided me throughout my life.”

When James set out to open a store on Lopez she started with just an art gallery.  She has featured work by Leonard Wren, Shirley Wright, Steve Hill, Caroline Buchanan, Don Charles, Kate Scott and Christa Malay

Within a year of opening, she decided she wanted to expand her store to her other passion – clothing.

“I have something for everyone and for every pocket book,” she said. “Everything I have is picked out because of its specialness.”

Later she decided to diversify the store even further by adding certain home items like French table linen, quirky lamps, fun and decorative pillows and small pieces of unusual furniture.

The shop’s original name was Side Street Gallery, but James eventually changed it to Gallery 10.

“The name came from the sake of simplicity,” she said. “It’s very easy to remember and from a scale of one to 10, the gallery is a 10.”

And apparently others agree. James said over the last 17 years she has received a lot of visitors in the summer and a strong local clientele all year that she is grateful for.

Prior to opening the gallery, James worked as a full-time artist and ran the household as a mother and a wife to Doug James, who owns a floor covering business.

James is known for her figurative sculpture work, hand-made cameo jewelry and drawings. Before living on Lopez, James lived in California and was featured in local galleries. She was also accepted into the prestigious Laguna Beach Festival of Arts for many years. She moved to Lopez in 1978. Both her daughter and her granddaughter have dozens of pieces of art in their homes.

“Coming from a line of strong women has shown me you can be a mother and a wife and be a very strong community business figure,” said her granddaughter Colleen Smith Armstrong, who is also the publisher of the Sounder newspaper on Orcas. “Her store is amazing … it’s like walking into a fashion oasis on a tiny island community.”

James said she tries to give each customer a personalized experience. She describes her many years of business as providing the opportunity to meet so many lovely people and establish nice relationships.

“A lot of people have told me coming into the store is like coming home,” said James.

For the winter Gallery 10 is open at noon and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more info, call 468-4910.