Good art brings people together

Alex enjoyed a small town childhood in the old mining town of Jerome, Arizona - there were more ghosts than residents and the arts community thrived. It was his mother’s ceramic studio and gallery that first nurtured Alex’s taste in art. He spent his early years carving wood sculptures, exploring abandoned buildings, and avoiding the rattlesnakes and centipedes under every rock.

At the University of Arizona, Alex loved studying art history and sculpture, and he also enrolled in the Entrepreneurship program. It was here he realized he could combine the two worlds of art and business. Graduating in 2006, Alex launched UGallery using his entire savings. After a few years, he packed up a truck and moved to San Francisco to join its vibrant art market. After almost 15 years in San Francisco, he moved to Amsterdam where he runs the business today.

Alex has curated the UGallery portfolio since its inception, hosted booths at the New York Affordable Art Fair for over 8 years, and seen UGallery featured in dozens of publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, and TechCrunch.

Samantha may be the most personable art advisor in the entire industry. Seriously. One of our long-time clients jokingly wrote us, “[We] have been great fans of Samantha’s since our first inquiry and subsequent purchases. UGallery isn’t too bad either.”

Combining her academic background and a deep love of art, Samantha brings sheer joy to the art buying experience. She grew up in Menlo Park, California and remembers loving art from a young age. She studied Art History with a focus in Greek Antiquities at Boston University, and continued her education with a Masters in Art Business at Sotheby's in London. After graduating, she interviewed for positions at several bay area galleries but was put off by the seemingly pretentious nature of the business and worried that she may not actually fit the art world. On her last interview attempt, she happened to walk into the UGallery office and found a welcoming team. That was back in 2012! Today, Samantha is the face of the company. Reach out with a question, and you’ll see her art knowledge in action. Either she’ll find an artwork that you love, or help you commission a custom piece.

Karina's passion for art bloomed early, filling pages with sketches from childhood. Her artistic journey began at 12 with a transformative summer workshop, igniting a lifelong dream to become an artist. Transitioning to watercolors, sewing, and sculpting in her teens, she eagerly sought art supplies on family trips. After her second child's birth, she embraced exhibiting her art and has been actively joining and showing in group and solo exhibitions for more than a decade. Today, armed with a diverse skill set as a multi-media artist and arts management, she has a background in mass communications and fine arts. Joining UGallery in late 2020, Karina enjoys working with the team as the marketing coordinator.

As UGallery's artist liaison, Jannelle brings her expertise in customer relations to create a supportive and friendly environment for the gallery's talented artists. She ensures that each artist feels understood and supported, contributing to a welcoming and supportive atmosphere within the gallery. Beyond her professional role, Jannelle is an avid animal lover, finding joy and inspiration in the company of cats and dogs. In her free time, you'll likely find Jannelle exploring local art scenes, sharing stories about her own artistic pursuits, or spending quality time with her beloved furry companions.

Mia spends her time in artistic exploration. From making collages with eggshells as a child to needle punching as an adult, Mia has been constantly making art and jumping from one medium to another. Upon earning a degree in Sociology, Mia moved to Spain and worked as an assistant teacher. Two years later, she returned home to pursue a more creatively fulfilling path, and she joined UGallery as a gallery assistant. On weekends, Mia bakes cakes and pastries that are way too much for her family to consume, something her neighbors are very thankful for.

Leah has been on this art-filled journey with Alex since before he launched UGallery in 2006, holding late night strategy sessions and working art fair booths. After moving to San Francisco with Alex, Leah was a high-school science teacher at two SF schools and then spent three years as a software developer at The RealReal and Sonder. In 2019, Alex finally was able to convince Leah to join the team, and today they love running a family business together in Amsterdam. Leah holds degrees in Biology and Spanish from ASU and a Masters in Teaching from the University of San Francisco.

Carol curates the art selection with Alex on a weekly basis. She elevates the collection with her background as an award-winning ceramic artist and decades of experience running her own fine arts and crafts gallery. Her influence on UGallery’s collection goes far back to before the gallery existed. As Alex’s mother, it was her gallery, Sky Fire, that first sparked Alex’s taste in art. During her 33 years running the business, Sky Fire was included in Sunset magazine’s Best of the West and regularly included in Fodor’s annual guides as a must-see destination in Arizona. Additionally, she spent many years working as a visual merchandiser in the gift industry, with clients including the Hollywood Bowl. In 2008, she sold Sky Fire and now loves spending quality time with Alex curating artworks for UGallery each week.