The Plein-air season may be over, but before you get distracted by nature’s autumn palette, you should drop by or make an appointment to visit Les Poissons Gallery. It’s tucked away on South Cross St., next to the Sultana building, and it radiates charm even on a drizzly October day.
Owner Terry Poissons decided that she’d had enough of retirement from a long career as an educator on the Western Shore and inspired by her brother, artist John Eiseman and her son Rusty Poissons, decided to take the leap of faith and open a gallery in Chestertown.
Eiseman was supportive of the venture and key to the gallery’s acquisitions—he made introductions between his sister and artist friends. And it has worked out well. Many of the artists know each other and exhibit from Charleston, South Carolina to Baltimore, the wider Plein-air circuit.
“Its’ great because these the artists are out there already and refer their home-collectors to us,” Terry said.
Les Poissons has also noticed the affinity some buyers have for the Chestertown area. Paintings of local landscapes that include recognizable features are popular among local buyers and tourists who love the Eastern Shore.
One recent buyer who was about to move to Charlotte saw a painting through the gallery window, came back an hour later to purchase it, saying that “she wanted something that reminded her of the Chesapeake Bay and all the rivers.”
As fate and COVID would have it, the grand opening planned for early April was delayed, but that did not quash their enthusiasm. After Maryland’s phased re-opening, Terry and Rusty Poissons opened their doors currently Thursday through Sunday, and by appointment.
Chestertown and the Spy welcome them.
For more about Les Poissons Gallery, an online gallery of their artists and Terry’s blog, see their website here, and the Facebook page.
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