Want a ‘peaceful place’ to see art? New SLO County art gallery offers space to chill out
Based on its name, you might think Cambria’s newest gallery focuses on vehicular art.
But although Cruise Control Gallery owner and designer Charlie Smith loves to drive, he said, he named his minimalist shop after the sense of peace and calm he hopes to instill in visitors.
“It’s a place where you can feel that everything will be all right, and not get hung up on things out of your control,” explained Smith, who said he became “an overnight optimist” after the birth of his daughter about three years ago.
His contemporary art gallery, which opened in April, is located at 1075 Main St., across from Mechanics Bank on the eastern, ground-floor corner of the Cambria Galleria. The gallery is one of two anchor shops in the center, with Medusa’s Taqueria restaurant at the other end and Astro Barbershop, Calvary Chapel and Cambria Computing in between.
Smith called the gallery experience an antidote to online shopping, especially for art.
“You need to see it in person, in 3D,” he said, rather than on a phone or computer screen.
Writer, family move to Cambria
Smith and his family came to Cambria a few years ago in a move that was prompted by a series of life-changing events — including the COVID-19 pandemic, the birth of his daughter Plum and a wildfire in the Ventura hills above Malibu that resulted in the loss of some precious belongings.
Smith spent a couple of decades as a writer in the film and entertainment industry, and his wife, Kat Smith, writes self-published books under the nom de plume Kat Villian. After Plum’s birth, they opted out of the Los Angeles area rat race and moved to San Luis Obispo County.
Charlie Smith originally worked a part-time Cambria rural mail deliverer but he just left the U.S. Postal Service to focus more fully on the gallery. He’s still active as a freelance writer and is an avid surfer.
In addition to her writing career, Kat Smith works as a yoga instructor at Cambria’s Vyana Wellness Collective.
How designer built Cruise Control Gallery
Smith described going to great pains to create a serene aura in his chilled-out gallery — obsessing over which shade of white to put on the walls and how to refinish the floor.
He sought to keep lots of lovely light in the room without traffic and people overwhelming the view of Cambria’s treetops, which he achieved with etching on the lower half of the shop’s windows.
With advice from friends, Smith added slender padded benches along parts of two walls, so he and his guests can relax, chat and absorb the impact of the artworks.
“I’m a curious person. I like talking to people,” Smith said at the gallery on June 13. “I wanted this to be a peaceful place where they could get out of the elements and pressures.”
To block out a sidewalk-level view through a large angled window, Smith and friends created a fold-out wall that can be swung open long enough for visitors enjoy Cambria’s often dramatic sunsets then swung shut again to accentuate the art mounted on it.
There’s also a small stage that can be used for future performances, but also to give people a different perspective on the art that surrounds it.
Smith’s next step was curating Cruise Control Gallery’s first show and making plans for future exhibits.
Smith flipped through his mental rolodex to come up with a long list of friends, all successful California artists, who would jump at the chance for limited engagement showings in art-centric Cambria.
“I called in all my favors,” he said.
First up at Cruise Control Gallery is Venice artist Ned Evans’ show “H2O’s-20years,” which debuted April 30. It features a restrained cross section of works large and small by the California painter, sculptor and lifelong surfer whose works hang in many public collections, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Prices for nearly all of Evan’s art on display in the show range from $600 to $2,500.
Cruise Control’s next exhibit, due to launch July 23, will feature works by Jeff Lancaster.
Asked whether it was a risk to open a gallery amid the coronavirus pandemic, Smith opined, “You have to shoot for the moon to land in the stars.”
How to visit SLO County art gallery
To enhance Cruise Control Gallery’s sense of quiet and solitude, Smith prefers to restrict the number of people in the space at any one time. He’s even been known to lock the door behind visitors — with their consent, of course.
The gallery is currently open noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Smith also makes appointments to meet prospective clients and friends there.
For more information, or to plan a visit, call 805-503-3820 or email info@cruisecontrolcambria.com.
