A blend of art and coffee will soon be brewing in Lexington. Located inside the space once housing the Anisoptera Mercantile shop on Mass. Ave., Galaray House is expected to open next month. Owner and co-founder Ray Ball spoke with LexObserver about the concept for the gallery and espresso bar he’s launching with partner Molly Rappoli.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What’s the concept for Galaray House?
A: Galaray House is an innovative and dynamic new art gallery designed to bring art, culture, and community together in a fresh and approachable way. Within the gallery is a modern espresso bar, creating an atmosphere that captivates the senses and entices the community to appreciate art on a whole new level. Our espresso bar is not just an accompaniment to the art gallery, it’s an extension of the creative experience. Galleries can seem a bit intimidating, so in an effort to make the journey of art viewing or collecting more approachable, we wanted to create a warm, welcoming space for people to learn about, and celebrate, great art.
Q: What kind of art, food and drinks will you offer?
A: The art will be contemporary art from global artists [check @galarayhouse on Instagram for a sneak preview]. Drinks will include locally sourced coffee and espresso beverages and tea imported from France (hot and iced). For food, we’ll have some locally sourced croissants and cookies with gluten free and vegan offerings.
Q: Why did you choose Lexington?
A: Lexington, Massachusetts was the natural fit for this new gallery concept. From the town’s rich history, to the vast cultural diversity, we knew the community would warmly welcome this new take on art galleries.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and partner Molly Rappoli — what led you to start Galaray House?
A: Molly’s love for art and creative pursuits was kindled by her mom, aunt, and grandparents. At Fairfield University, she pursued her passion and majored in Studio Art while gaining experience in art galleries and photo studios.
As an early employee at Serendipity Magazine, Molly’s journey began as an art assistant and culminated in her role as Associate Publisher. Her contributions extended beyond the magazine’s pages to spearheading the Greenwich Food + Wine Festival. Later, she acted as Editor-in-Chief and Art Director for Empire City Casino Magazine.
Molly’s favorite art pieces are inspired by Edgar Degas’ captivating sketchbook pencil drawings. She lives with her husband and three young children, in Winchester, MA where her walls are already covered with their masterpieces.
I’ve spent the last 15 years working in various marketing roles in the tech industry. I have a BA from the College of the Holy Cross and an MBA from Bentley University. I now live in Reading, MA. My favorite piece of art from my personal collection is a Tingatinga-style oil on canvas painting of giraffes I bought on a trip to Tanzania.
With my business background and Molly’s art background, our skill sets really complement each other well. We had the idea for this concept late last summer, so we diligently researched every element of the potential business for months. We hit a point early this year where we knew we had a great concept that people would enjoy.
Q: Why did you choose to be ambassadors for the artists you work with?
A: One of the most important decisions we made was to make sure any art that we offer for sale in the gallery had to be something that we personally liked. The artist outreach process started by us putting a list of our favorite artists together. We found these artists in a lot of ways — like visiting galleries, talking to art dealers, and searching on Instagram.
Q: Have you done any research or outreach to the community to find out what people are interested in?
A: Yes, we both happen to know a lot of people in and around Lexington, so we had a great network to bounce ideas off.
Q: How do you plan to ensure the success of your business? What do you ultimately have in mind for your business and its future growth?
A: We’ll always stick to our core vision of making a warm and welcoming space for customers to relax, enjoy a great espresso bar drink, and escape with their imagination into a world-class piece of art. We want to be an approachable outlet for introducing global artists to the Greater Boston region. We’ll continue to grow culturally through the art we offer for sale, and we aim to be a warm entry point for everyone to enjoy art.
Anyone know where in Lexington this is planned to be located? Looking forward to seeing what they are creating there.
As it says in the article, in the center where Anisoptera opened and closed, after Ride Studio Cafe opened and closed.
Very excited about this place! Wishing you luck!! Can’t wait to come in!!
This will be an amazing addition to Lex Center! Looking forward to trying the drinks, treats and maybe buying a piece of art.
Lexington Center Is full of banks & real Estate offices.
That’s why I can’t wait until the Galary House opens. It looks like it will be a welcome and needed addition to the center
Happened to walk today while in the center. We were drawn in by the art and the smell of fresh coffee. What a great space and concept with a wonderful collection of art on the walls. We’ll be back for sure. Wishing you all the best success. We think you have a winner.
p.s. the coffee and pastry was great.