Sivertson Gallery began in 1980 as a joint effort of its current owner, Jan Sivertson, and her father, artist and author Howard Sivertson. The first gallery location was a small retail space in the basement of Howard's home, where Howard and Jan divided their time between gallery duty and creating art. A few artist friends were invited to show their work as well, and Sivertson Gallery was born. Howard quickly realized how much he truly wanted to "just paint." The gallery business was a distraction for him and, fortunately, a passion for Jan. In 1982, Jan took the business downtown, leaving Howard free to pursue his painting—capturing in oil and watercolor the scenes and history of the North Shore of Lake Superior, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and Isle Royale. The downtown Grand Marais gallery was first located in a small, white house a stone's throw from Lake Superior. The business steadily grew, gathering talented regional artists, dedicated staff, and location changes along the way. Early on Jan also traveled to far north Canada and Alaska and brought the work of many Inuit sculptors and Cape Dorset printmakers back home to Sivertson Gallery. In 1995, Sivertson Gallery expanded to a second location when Siiviis (named after Severin Sivertson’s retired fishing boat) opened in Duluth’s Canal Park waterfront district. Ships from international waters arrive in Duluth from March through December and can be viewed right outside the gallery’s front windows. Our newest gallery is online at www.sivertson.com, where we have hundreds of prints, originals, and works of art in a 24/7 shopping experience from the best artists of this region. New, original art is added every month and we include a wide range of prices to suit all budgets. In 2020, Sivertson Gallery celebrated 40 years of business and Siiviis marked its 25th anniversary year. Sivertson Gallery is a destination for art on the North Shore of Lake Superior, exhibiting the work of over 60 regional artists in addition to Canadian Inuit and Alaskan native art, Canadian First Nation, and Native American art. Exhibiting artwork that reflects the character of Lake Superior remains the gallery's dominant focus—depicting the lake's beauty and depth, its surrounding environment, and its history and people. Art of the North brings an adventurous and independent flavor to the gallery.
