Fulcrum Gallery

I placed and order this past Saturday. I noticed after I hit submit that I had ordered the wrong type of canvas. I had ordered the museum wrap, but wanted gallery wrap. I called them right away and left a voice mail and also sent them a email requesting them to simply change it. I called them this morning 5 minutes after they opened from the weekend and was told my order was completely canceled and my card would be refunded in a couple business days. The lady who I spoke to Lynn was so rude I still am in shock. Specially since I am a front desk supervisor of a huge hotel and I pride myself in good customer service. Now my funds are being held up on my credit card and I don’t have enough to reorder. I spoke to a supervisor who was also very rude and he said he would reorder it and charge my card in a few days, but dang I don’t like how I was treated!!! No Thankyou

Best art gallery in Tacoma. Oliver Doriss has a great eye and the space is well-​arranged and perfect. I am there every Third Thursday to see what’s new and am never disappointed. A bonus: I find a subtle thread of humor throughout the exhibits even though the art ranges from painting to glass to photography to all kinds of sculpture. And yes, it’s on the Hilltop… who cares? I have wandered on foot throughout the Hilltop for hours day and night, and never had the slightest worry. With Tacoma Art Place just a few blocks down, all we need is one more art gallery/​space there to make it a destination «district» in Tacoma.

Oliver Doriss, the owner & curator of Fulcrum Gallery, is probably going to go down as one of the urban pioneers who helped revive Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood. There’s so much potential here — and he’s a man who sees it & has tapped into it. Really — this area is analogous to Seattle’s Capitol Hill near 14^th & Madison back in the 80’s.
Fulcrum is divided into 4 spaces, the front half is currently the official gallery space, a very cool & large 3^rd room is in transition, and the back area houses Mr. Doriss’s studio — he is also an accomplished glass artist.
There are some items for sale in the second gallery space. You can find «253» shirts here and some great patches paying tribute to Tacoma. Mr. Doriss also sells his work here, including his «baby head» cups — I’d like one in every colour. (Consumer/​art Lover that I am)
The focus here seems to be a more cerebral look at local contemporary art. The current exhibit «The Heavens Reflect Our Labor» features four local artists working with metal. It is a small show, but very diverse, thoughtful & worth a look. Chris McMullen’s kinetic sculptures are particularly clever.
I look forward tracking Fulcrum’s evolution — Thank you, Mr. Doriss, for coming to Tacoma!