Time for a little art, a little wine

MOSES LAKE — If you’re trying to place Imbibe art and wine gallery owner Cynthia Dano, think a few doors down.

From 1990-2000 she owned and operated Studio C Photography near Imbibe’s 216 Third Ave. location in Moses Lake.

Dano was successful with Studio C, but weddings and other events commanded her weekends, and that was tough on family life. She was going in one direction while her children were headed in another.

“I was a little burned out and needed a break,” Dano said. “The kids were doing sports. I wanted to be able to watch them grow,”

The children are grown now, and Dano’s entrepreneurial spirit is back in full form. A new business was the only option .She opened Imbibe last May and is having a grand time.

“I love art,” Dano said. “There really wasn’t anything like (Imbibe) in town. This is a great venue.”

Dano noted most art galleries fail if they are not located in high-traffic tourist areas or are supported by some sort of government subsidy. She concluded that adding a retail shop of Washington wines to the art gallery could serve the purposes of a subsidy.

“It’s steadily growing. It’s going to make it,” Dano said.

Dano hasn’t just opened the door and hoped people would walk in. She has taken steps to attract customers.

Imbibe has a wine club. It has wine tasting on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and it has an art and wine party called Third Thursday on Third. A wine bar license was expected by this weekend.

“Once we get that license, we’ll be able to sell wine by the glass,” Dano said.

That  license could be big for Imbibe. As of Tuesday, it could sell only bottled wines, not to be consumed on the premises. With the wine bar license, customers will be able to drink wine by the glass while giving concerted consideration the art on display.

The art and wine party on Third Thursday on Third has attracted as many as 100 visitors. It features a different artist and a different local winery each time. Wine and paintings are being sold, Dano said. And the net proceeds from the evening are donated to a different charity each month.

The wine club is for customers who like exploration and discovery. They order a given number of bottles of wine per month and allow Dano to make the choices. Customers give her the categories from which to choose, and Dano chooses from anywhere on the world wine map.

“Part of the reason for the wine club is to push your palate,” Dano said. “It may be something they would not have had on their own. So far, it’s going very well.”

For more information, call 509-765-1119.