Today we chat with Armando Mejorado, a Redding artist and entrepreneur. We’ve featured Armando on A News Cafe.com before, both with and without his life partner, Gary Desmond, who died in June of 2014. Over the years Gary and Armando hosted many fundraisers in their home to benefit a wide array of cultural and community non-profits.
We catch up with Armando and learn how he’s reinvented himself, this time with a new downtown business.
Q: Armando, congratulations on your venture downtown. How do you describe it to people?
A: Thank you Doni. It has been a long road getting here, and we are almost ready to have regular hours at Armando’s Gallery House, but for the moment we are having special events just to give guests a taste of what’s to come.
Q: For those who’ve not visited Armando’s Gallery House, how do you describe it?
A: I describe the Gallery House to people as a mini multi-cultural hub, restaurant, art gallery and art-class center. It’s a place that serves wine, beer, food, art and entertainment.
Q: Food, wine, art, entertainment, education. It sounds like you pretty much cover the gamut. Where is Armando’s Gallery House, and what does it look like?
A: We are located in Redding’s old downtown mall at 1350 Butte St. From what I have been told it’s one of the oldest brick buildings still standing in Redding from 1901.
What does it look like? It’s like walking into my home. There’s a small cozy space with my art hanging from every space. I hang the art salon style, like they do in Europe, from floor to ceiling with three crystal chandeliers in the main dinning and gallery space, and two gold metal chandeliers in a smaller room that doubles as a private dining room. Guests can book the gallery space for private dinners or special gatherings. One guest described my space as what the inside of my head must look like.
Q: What inspired you do create this space?
A: My inspiration came from a dream my partner Gary Desmond and I had for many years. But it was only after his passing from cancer a little over a year ago that I began to make this dream a reality. It was sink or swim, and at a moment when I just wanted to lay in my bed and give up, after a few weeks I decided I wanted to swim. That’s when the inspiration for Armando’s Gallery House started to come to life. It’s what’s once again given me purpose to live.
Q: Armando, I’m so glad to hear you chose swimming over sinking. You and Gary were such a force together, but it’s so good to see what you can do on your own.
About the gallery … who’s your typical guest/client/customer?
A: I want everyone of all ages to come into my place. I want the younger generation to be inspired by my work, and for everyone to just enjoy a simple meal, a glass of wine, and dessert in a warm and inviting place.
I want all my guests to feel like they are dining or walking around my home. Whether you want to dress up for a special night, or come in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, I don’t care. I just want you to feel at home.
Q: Can you tell us about a typical event at your space?
A: Let’s see … a typical event. When we begin having hours I’m tossing around the idea of maybe three days a week offering a set menu for dinner, and maybe lunch. I’ll offer a selection of some amazing wines that range in price from a $15 a bottle on up into the hundreds of dollars for a nice bottle of wine. Or guests can enjoy a nice glass of house wine or beer for $4.
But things will always be changing, as that’s how I tend to do it in my own life. Other times there will be dinners and entertainment from art shows, dancers, singers and performers.
Q: Sounds like you’ve got a full plate, Armando. What’s next?
A: What’s next is to close the chapter of my life that lasted over 20 years, and starting a new chapter where I get this project off the ground. After that, maybe I’ll settle in and fine-tune everything at the Gallery House, and maybe even get a little break, get some real sleep, and starting the next chapter in my life. I’m well overdo to start enjoying life again.
Q: I agree! Anything else you’d like us to know?
I would like to thank everyone who’s played a part in getting me where I am today. No matter how small a part someone might think they had, I’m so grateful to every single person for all their efforts, art sales and private dinners. Their support made all the difference.
Now I’m at a time in my life when I have no idea where life will take me next. I stand as proof that when life has you in a choke-hold, and you’re just fighting to live day by day, the human mind and spirit are a lot stronger than we sometimes imagine, or give ourselves credit. In the last year I have learned that for myself.
There’s still more work to be done in the weeks and months ahead, but I can honestly say that “the dream” is becoming a reality, but it can’t be done alone. I thank you.
We thank you, Armando, and wish you the utmost of success for your newest dream venture.
