Introducing Lowry Hill Gallery

Banner Image: Entrance to Lowry Hill Gallery. Photos courtesy of Andrea Bubula.

On March 7th, Andrea Bubula, former Director of Groveland Gallery, opened a new contemporary art gallery in the historic Lowry Hill neighborhood. I sat down with her and her Gallery Manager, Muriel Lang, in their 3,400 square foot storefront gallery a month into their operation to discuss art, business, and how a dream turns into a reality. 

You know that feeling when all signs from the universe seem to point you in one direction? When things fall into place so perfectly you question “how could I ever have thought of doing anything different?” That’s exactly how it felt for Andrea Bubula on her path to open her own contemporary art gallery last month in Minneapolis. 

It started with a storefront. 1009 W Franklin Avenue, which residents may remember as being home to Patina for many years, had sat vacant for a handful of months when Andrea Bubula stumbled upon it in summer of 2025. It’s a 3,400 square-foot storefront with gorgeous 15 foot ceilings and a wall of North-facing windows. “The space just always wanted to be a gallery,” Bubula tells me. It has the space to accommodate large works and two to three artist shows at a time while still allowing a lot of room for each piece of art to breathe. The north facing windows are perfect for filling the space with a soft, honest light. The colors in Susan Horn’s abstract oil landscapes, which were freshly installed for her show “Close to Color”, glow in the afternoon sunlight hitting the white rolling walls. The space and the paintings feel palpably alive. 

 

Top image: View of Lowry Hill's gallery space. Bottom left: installation view of Ideas in Things, new works by Andrew Grum Carr at Lowry Hill. Bottom right: Installation view of Close to Color, new works by Susan Horn. Photos courtesy of Lowry Hill Gallery.

 

The arrangement of the gallery is ideal for accommodating both large and small works. The other show being installed for an April 18th opening was “Ideas in Things”. A series of intimate, quiet, urban scenes in ink and watercolor by Andrew Grum Carr. The installation of these small paintings in the quiet back corner of the gallery easily invites viewers in for a more intimate, up-close and slow viewing experience. 

“It must be fun to curate the pairing of artist shows that happen concurrently in the gallery,” I observe, noting the different approaches to landscapes but common love for their surroundings and softness that is communicated through both Horn and Grum Carr’s work. As Bubula responded and walked me through the lineup of upcoming artist exhibitions that are scheduled as far out as 2028, Bubula’s love for and knowledge of the artists she represents is tangible. 

Bubula is currently representing a roster of about 50 artists but talks about each of them as if they are family. “The artists I work with are incredibly skilled and thoughtful”, Bubula tells me. She works with an impressive array of representational and landscape artists who all boast connections to the twin cities. There’s David Lefkowitz and Dan Bruggeman, both faculty of Carlton College in Northfield, and  Michael Banning of MCAD, all of whom have shows scheduled in the next year. Bubula is also excited to feature figure drawings that have been created by students of Case Edgerton Studios in Saint Paul in the fall. 

 

Installation at Lowery Hill Gallery. Photos courtesy of Lowry Hill Gallery.

 

“It’s a dream job getting to build relationships with both the artists and the collectors”, Bubula tells me as she shows me the gallery’s store room where she stocks pieces by each of her artists to be able to show to collectors as she gets to know their unique eyes and interests. 

Another highlight for Bubula of the endeavor so far has been getting to watch the artists she works with see the space and get inspired by what they can create to fill the space. There’s so much room to work with; artists can dream bigger and really test the space.

“I’m so in love with how it turned out”, Bubula says. “I’m seeing the future that looks bright”. 

Lowry Hill Gallery is located at 1009 W Franklin Avenue, near the intersection of the newly re-opened Hennepin avenue. The venue features street parking, wheelchair accessibility, and easy access from I-94. Gallery hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 5 pm. Walkins are welcome and encouraged. The exhibitions of rotating local and regional artists run for 5 weeks, with opening receptions held on corresponding Saturday afternoons. All events are free and open to the public.◼︎ 

 

Andrea Bubula (left) with gallery manager Muriel Lang (right) at Lowry Hill Gallery.