Downtown Gallery Grand Opening Tonight

Though it'll be open exactly two months Friday, the Carla deQuant Gallery is throwing a ribbon cutting ceremony tonight to mark the business's sojourn into Campbell.

"Mayor Michael Kotowski is going to cut the ribbon," said deQuant herself. The phone has been ringing off the hook all day, she said, as details for tonight are finalized.

deQuant, a native of Mexico, said that two representatives from the Mexican consulate will be at tonight's event.

The artist studied in Italy at age 20 and continues to use the techniques she picked up there in her creation of masks, sculptures and life casts. She utilizes authentic 16th and 17th century techniques to make Venetian-style masks, one of the few artists to continue using these traditions.

"She's got some really cool stuff in there," said Neil Collins, CEO of the Campbell Chamber of Commerce. "We always love to have new businesses in the community and we hope that [tonight] will help the gallery get off to at good start and help them grow."

While her business has only been in town for a short time, deQuant said she's already fallen for Campbell.

"I absolutely love it," she said. "That's one of the things I'm going to talk about tonight. The people here are just so friendly."

The Carla deQuant Gallery ribbon cutting ceremony will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 346 E Campbell Ave. deQuant said she expects the ribbon to be cut around 6:30 p.m.