KATIE O'NEILL FINE ART GALLERY

For 15 years, I have taken walks with my children through the Palisades Village, always so grateful to be a resident of such a beautiful, safe, loving community. Watching my children grow and looking at storefronts became a whole new experience. Witnessing the excitement in their eyes, a toy store with something appealing in the window, a local bookstore with a new children's book. I recall the day on our walk when a window held some of the most beautiful paintings of familiar places that took my breath away. A gorgeous gallery called KATIE O'NEILL FINE ART. As I entered the gallery, I was greeted with a lovely welcome. I remember thinking, "could this be the artist" she was so humble and kind. Within a few minutes, I felt like I was speaking to an old friend; we were sharing stories about our children and the restaurants and schools in the area. I was so wowed by the gorgeous art displayed and was extremely excited to learn that Katie was giving art classes to kids and adults. I signed my children up, and for the past five-plus years, I have watched them become artists who take pride in their work and look forward to going to a place that envelops them in a creative environment, always giving calm guidance and informed support. This morning I woke up and checked my emails; I saw a post on Nextdoor from a few days ago that started with My art studio on Antioch was robbed last night; I could not believe what I was reading! My children were at the studio the morning the robbery happened! I felt my heart break as tears came to my eyes at the thought of what Katie must be going through, the terrible violation of her precious gallery, and the loss of hours and hours of work she put into each of the eleven stolen paintings worth about $35,000 in total. The cost of repairing her studio, boarding up windows, and the need to put in an alarm system has been an overwhelming additional expense. Katie did not have theft insurance; she never thought her art gallery would be broken into in a million years, and the insurance cost was just too much to consider. We can not allow crime to take over our neighborhoods by letting criminals force independent business owners/artists out. It is businesses like Katies that contribute so much to our everyday experience. To her students and buyers, Katie's gallery is a warm, welcoming place; to Katie, it is her livelihood. Sadly we can not undo what has happened; however, we can come together by Donating here to help Katie continue her work as an artist and support her dedication to her community.