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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend December 3, 2006 �Times Squared� by artist David Chapple of Michigan is one of the many works featured at the Ignition Gallery in Talent. (Mail Tribune / Denise Baratta) Vroom, vroom: Art gallery revs your engine Ignition Gallery in Talent pays tribute to the kings of the road By GREG STILES Mail Tribune TALENT — Cross a love for motorized vehicles and a passion for art and you might end up doing what Mark MacDougall did — open a gallery featuring automobile and motorcycle art. MacDougall, 48, and his business partner Peter McCusker, 51, say it's an art form largely ignored by the art gallery establishment. While he admits there may be a couple of similarly themed galleries somewhere on the fruited plains, so far the only ones he's discovered so far are in Chicago and New York. Although he's long frequented art galleries, MacDougall admits he didn't seriously consider owning one until he began turning up car and motorcycle artwork while surfing the Web. Advertisement "I just kind of stumbled into it mostly, because I wasn't seeing them anywhere in the valley," he says. "There are lots of watercolor landscapes and abstracts, but my partner and I didn't find anything that appealed to us." MacDougall began looking for local artists that fit into the scheme and discovered Will Storm of Ashland, who did motorcycle oils, water colors and pastels. Soon the collection started coming together and he opened his shop in November 2005. "It took a couple months to "It took a couple months to assemble the artwork," he says of the collection that came from artists all the way from Canada to Hawaii. He invested about $30,000 in the 1,500-square-foot location. Half of the money was spent to acquire 70-some pieces in the collection, which is augmented with pieces on consignment. "A lot of people come to the gallery and think it's a museum and that they have to pay to get in," MacDougall says. "But it doesn't cost anything; it's business here to sell art." What many visitors see are memories when they venture to the gallery. "They see the car they had as a teenager or the car their parents had," MacDougall says. "Unlike many other types of art, it seems to directly connect with fond memories of the past. People often buy the art as a gift for themselves or others to not just decorate a wall but to capture a memory." The most pricey pieces of the collection are a pair of bronze chopper casts by Doug Downs of Pacific Grove, Calif., McCusker says. Downs cast 35 of the high-wheeling choppers. One that has a rotating base costs $2,400 and one with a fixed base goes for $1,800. Talent's downtown is going through major changes and the influence of neighboring Ashland is reshaping the mix of commercial enterprises in town. Nonetheless, Talent isn't the destination most art lovers would choose on a given afternoon. "Rent was cheaper here and the building seemed to be perfect for a gallery," MacDougall says. The precise location, however, left something to be desired. "We're a little up Talent Avenue and so we're not quite in downtown and we don't get the foot or shopping traffic. People have to discover us." Although it's a little off the commercial beaten path, the gallery has a parking lot that allows it to host special events tied in to its collection. Car clubs have a natural attraction to the gallery. Corvette and Studebaker clubs meet there, as well as hot rod and vintage motorcycle enthusiasts. "We were even one of 19 check-in stops for Portland's Rose City Motorcycle Club's Grand Tour of the Northwest," MacDougall said. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com