By Kathy Chouteau
Along a stretch of road in El Cerrito, a small pink structure beside a lemon tree is quietly building community—one handmade treasure at a time.
Tucked near the intersection of Key Boulevard & Elm Street, three houses up the hill on Elm and across from Summit School, sits Shen Gao’s pink, sidewalk-adjacent Little Free Art Gallery. “You can’t miss it,” she admitted cheekily about the small-but-bright structure.
Gao launched the Little Free Art Gallery in June 2024 after discovering the concept on social media. The idea itself isn’t original to her, she shared. Similar galleries exist across the country, with many catalogued online. Still, when she first came across the concept, she immediately felt El Cerrito needed one too.
While traditional Little Free Libraries focus on books, Gao opted for art.
“There are so many free little libraries out there and I thought a free little art gallery would be so fun and unique,” she said.
An artistic person who formerly worked in graphic design, she also saw it as an outlet for her own creations.
Community response has been enthusiastic. Gao described meeting a woman who now takes daily walks just to visit the gallery. The woman and her daughter regularly leave friendship bracelets behind. Families stop by to drop off and pick up art. On Facebook, neighbors have called it a “nice addition to the neighborhood” and many people have said it’s brought them much joy.
The tiny gallery showcases a wide variety of original, handmade creations. Gao has seen paintings, ceramics, origami, friendship bracelets, painted rocks, 3D-printed accessories, clay crafts, woodworking art and more. The only rule, she said, is that items must be original and not store-bought. A plastic bin once installed beneath the gallery for free art & craft supplies proved too flimsy for the weather, but creating a sturdier replacement remains on her to-do list.
The gallery itself was a family effort. Gao’s husband, a woodworking hobbyist, built it using leftover materials from a backyard construction project. Gao jokingly described herself as the “creative director” of the design while her husband handled construction.
Professionally, Gao has made several career pivots since working as a graphic designer. She currently serves as a crisis counselor on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Though her present work is different, creativity has always been an essential part of her life.
Gao and her family have lived in El Cerrito since 2020. She said the gallery has helped her feel more connected to the community and has even hosted craft nights with friends to create pieces for the space.
Her hope for the Little Free Art Gallery is simple: That neighbors continue enjoying and contributing to it. “Just having this little space for art and for people to come together has brought me so much joy,” she said, adding, “I’ve wanted to become more connected to the community since we moved in over five years ago, and this was a great way to do it.” Gao reflected that she loves that the gallery is a way for neighbors to connect even if it’s as simple as the thought that someone in the community has one of your creations.
Check out Shen Gao’s Instagram page dedicated to her Little Free Art Galley at @freelittleartgalleryec.
