Kathleen N.
Yelp
This is a hard review to write because part of my review is about the store and gallery itself, and the other part, which is the frustrating and upsetting part, is about the gallery as a venue hosting artists, events, and/or exhibits.
Be seated please, because this is a long review. If you're looking for a TLDR, here it is: great bookshop and gift store (5 stars)...BUT, terrible management/founder-ship of the gallery when hosting ticketed events because of the treatment of fans, and lack of air circulating through the building despite stuffing people in like sardines (2 stars).
If we're talking solely about the gallery located in Alhambra, CA, it is small but mighty, with a lovely curation of books from stunning art to whimsy. They also carry art prints and enamel pins by a lot of the artists in animation, gaming, book illustration, and entertainment industry. They're truly unique and one of a kind as a boutique book and gift shop. I would absolutely give this place 5 stars if it was merely about the shop.
However, the gallery as a venue would be 2 stars.
I have been to Gallery Nucleus for special exhibits and met artists and authors. This is something I appreciate about the gallery hosting more intimate events. A month ago, I went to an illustrator signing, and this was not a ticketed event. They hosted this specific artist on the second floor of the building, and I felt so awful for the artist, and the rest of the fans waiting in line. It was stuffy and hot. There was not enough air circulating. The artist was incredibly gracious and kind to the fans as he signed his art, but you could clearly tell he was sweating, and the staff kept bringing him water.
Recently, I went to a ticketed event for a panel (phenomenal panel!), where there was an admission fee. I understand why so that the gallery could cap the number of people. In addition to this event, the policy was that only 2 items are allowed for signing per person with the panelists. The gallery sells merchandise for fans to purchase for the signing, and fans are going to support whoever it is they love. However, what I find a little messed up is, if an item is not purchased from the gallery, there is a $10 signing fee per item. While I think it's quite fair that the gallery must limit the items a fan can get signed to keep the line moving, there are major shortcomings of the gallery that I wish to address. This is towards management/founder about the way they host popular events.
Yes, the gallery must keep the flow of traffic going for signing, but I didn't expect that fans who paid an admission fee, would be treated as if they're churned through a factory assembly line. I watched as people waited their turn, stood before the panelists, and even as they tried to talk to them, the employees were directed to push the fan's merchandise down the table. You can FEEL the rush and impatient energy of the staff as you play catch-up to your merchandise which has traveled ahead. I feel the gallery should be versed enough to host events where they can monitor and move people along in a better way that doesn't take the excitement out of these events for the fans. I would have thought that as a gallery with a vision to connect fans to this unique industry, it's ironic that they stole that joy from both the panelists and fans getting to connect.
In addition to what I mentioned, the gallery packed the attendees in like sardines. I understand the small space and the need to maximize capacity with what they have, but the awful thing is, there was no air circulating. The venue was hot and stale as the panel went on. Several people shared that they had headaches because of the poor circulation. This is such a failure on the gallery's part, because this is not their first rodeo hosting.
However, I fear that management/owner just hasn't cared to do better, because I came across a review in Jan. 2024, almost 2 years ago at this point, mentioning the same things I am mentioning now in my review.
It is unfortunate that the gallery as a venue leaves a lot to be desired, because they technically are unique in what they're able to host, given their connection to the industry. However, with how attendees are treated, I find it hard to support the gallery directly and will now try to purchase merchandise from the artists themselves if it's possible.
On a bit of a positive note, I want to recognize great customer service by Omar, one of the staff members, for his patience, warmth, and joy he brought when answering questions and imparting his knowledge. He was empathetic to many of the fans' plight during the ticketed event. While he had no power to change what has been the directive to him, I appreciate that he did his best to make fans still feel welcomed. That's a testament to his kindness and understanding of what a true fan feels in these moments. Thank you, Omar.
And thank you to the wonderful artists who carve out time to try to connect with the fans.