Features

Maintain distance and connect. Indulge your senses and cover your face. To ensure health and safety while fulfilling our craving for authentic social interaction, space and creativity are key. Jude Grenney, owner and curator of J GO Gallery has both.

Jude grew up in Logan and attended college out of state, earning a degree in communications from Northwestern University in Chicago — but when the mountains sang their siren song, she came home.

In 1991, she moved to Park City and landed a management position at Art Masters (no longer in business) before working for six other galleries. “I realized I should be doing this on my own,” she says. “I’m passionate about art, so it seemed natural. Plus, I like to talk, and that translates well into encouraging art collecting.”

She opened Phoenix Gallery in 2002, and in 2010, changed the name to J GO Gallery.

Known for its contemporary, eclectic mix, the gallery reflects Jude’s good taste. “It’s got a little smattering of everything with a common thread of aesthetic excellence, unique techniques, and remarkable creativity,” she says. “I’m drawn to artists who do things a little differently — technique
fascinates me. I love to exhibit work that reveals the hand of the artist.”

The gallery also operates under a unique business model. Jude is one of three business owners sharing the space. The gallery is adjacent to Park City Desserts and O.P. Rockwell, a cocktail lounge and music hall, is located downstairs. The combined spaces of J GO Gallery and Park City Desserts create the Rockwell Listening Room. “It’s larger than most galleries and we encourage people to hang out and enjoy the artwork with their coffee,” she says.

That spaciousness helped Jude, along with Park City Desserts owners Shelley Marshall and Joe Davis, respond to the pandemic by offering healthy community events. “When COVID-19 hit Park City, we thought of creative ways to use the space and still be safe,” she says. They offered Sunday morning breakfast jams with singers and songwriters, weekly yoga classes, and ticketed concerts with Gold Standard Music, a local jazz band. “The general manager at O.P. Rockwell, Xania V. Woodman,
helped to plan private events so people could enjoy live entertainment and libations safely,” says Jude.

"I’m drawn to artists who do things a little differently — technique fascinates me. I love to exhibit work that reveals the hand of the artist."
Jude Greeney

Because O.P. Rockwell’s liquor license can be used upstairs, the Rockwell Listening Room can be rented for private events, weddings, rehearsal dinners, and more. “As long as the event meets the Centers for Disease Control regulations for COVID-19, we’re happy to host in this gorgeous space.”

The gallery’s winter season opens with a film themed exhibit. “It’s a group show, and we’re excited to see how each artist creates related artwork:
street scenes featuring the Egyptian Theatre, collages featuring Sundance memorabilia, and so much more,” she says. J GO Gallery will also be part of the Park City Gallery Association’s monthly Park City Gallery Stroll.

As we all pivot to learn safe ways to connect with our community, this multi-business success story shows how a little cooperation can go a long way.