Bryant Street Gallery

About Bryant Street Gallery

Bryant Street Gallery is an independent art gallery at 532 Bryant Street in downtown Palo Alto. It shows contemporary paintings and sculpture. It also runs a framing business and an art consulting service. The gallery's website describes it as offering art consultations, full-service custom framing and installation, along with its rotating exhibitions.

The gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary in late 2025. The Almanac marked the occasion with a profile in December 2025. It noted that many small independent galleries close within a few years of opening and credited Bryant Street's range of services with helping it last.

The founder and the gallery's story

Karen Imperial founded the gallery and is its sole owner, according to the Almanac. She grew up in Elmsford, New York. She studied at Parsons School of Design and at the State University of New York at Purchase. Her first job after college was fitting frames in a New York City frame shop. After moving to California in 1995, she worked at a gallery and frame shop in San Francisco and got to know the region's artists.

About five years later she opened her own gallery in a very small space down the block from the current one, helped by a loan from a client. A rent increase several years later pushed her to move. The gallery landed at its present address. Today, the Almanac reported, she employs two people in the gallery and three in the frame shop, which is in Mountain View. Her longtime assistant, Jeanne Vadeboncoeur, helps curate the shows.

Exhibitions and artists

The gallery installs around eight shows a year, mostly drawing on the roughly 30 artists Imperial represents. The Almanac reported that she finds new artists at art fairs, MFA student shows and studio visits. Most exhibitions are solo or two-person shows, with a few themed group shows mixed in.

Recent and current shows give a sense of the program:

• Organic Chemistry, a group show of abstract paintings by Jane Burton, Karl Pilato, Paula Valenzuela and Diane Williams, which ran through January 31, 2026.
• Michael Shemchuk: LINE UP, listed on the gallery's website from October 10 to November 25, 2026. The opening reception was on Saturday, October 10.

For 2026 the gallery also planned solo shows for longtime artists Elise Morris and Michael Shemchuk and the first shows of work by Ruth Shively and Diane Williams. The gallery has given first shows to many emerging artists, which is part of why Imperial says she wants to keep the exhibition side going.

Framing, consulting and staging

Exhibitions are only part of the business. The gallery offers full-service custom framing and installation, so it is a practical stop if you have a print or painting that needs a frame. Imperial also works as an art consultant. The Almanac described how she uses her design background to stage large new homes in Menlo Park and Atherton with work by her artists. She mocks up how a piece will look in a client's rooms before anything is hung. Her clients range from serious buyers to people who simply need art for their walls.

Buying art here

Imperial told the Almanac that she aims to place good, affordable artwork. She also said buyers usually want to see gallery credentials before spending a lot on a piece. In practice that means you can ask the gallery about an artist's background, past shows and other available work before you decide. If you like a piece but are unsure about the wall, ask whether the consulting service can help you judge size and placement. Prices are not listed on the website, so ask in person or by phone.

Visiting

The gallery's website does not list opening hours, so call 650-321-8155 before you visit, especially on weekends or between shows. Opening receptions are a good way to meet the artists. Imperial told the Almanac that fewer people now come to openings or stop by to see a show, so visitors are welcome. The gallery sits on the 500 block of Bryant Street, near the DUXIANA bed showroom. See our DUXIANA listing if you are furnishing a room. Our arts and culture guide covers the city's museums and other galleries. The Palo Alto Art Center is a short drive away. Downtown parking options are explained in our parking guide.

Location and getting there

Bryant Street Gallery is at 532 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. Our Downtown guide covers what else is around.

The Palo Alto Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

What is nearby

• DUXIANA, store, under 0.1 mi
• Ettan, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• Alegio Chocolate, bakery or dessert shop, under 0.1 mi
• Citibank University Avenue, service business, under 0.1 mi
• Nola, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
• University Avenue, under 0.1 mi
• Lytton Plaza, under 0.1 mi
• King Plaza and City Hall, 0.1 mi

Other books, gifts, art and specialty shops nearby: Miniso (under 0.1 mi); Verizon University Avenue (under 0.1 mi); Qualia Contemporary Art (under 0.1 mi); Apple University Avenue (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full books, gifts, art and specialty shops list.

Before you go

• Hours for small shops can change with the seasons and holidays. Check before making a special trip.
• Many independent shops will order items they do not have in stock. Just ask at the counter.
• Gift wrapping is often available, especially around the holidays.

About this listing

Checked October 30, 2026 against Bryant Street Gallery website; The Almanac: Bryant Street Gallery celebrates a silver anniversary (December 2025). How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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