Minding Your Business- Expressions Gallery

“Arrive empty of expectations…leave filled with gratitude.” Those powerful words hang on the wall at Expressions Gallery on Main Street in Chatham, and the quote sets the tone for an unforgettable experience when you walk through the front door. It is a mantra of sorts for the captivating experience artist Steven Koppel has created. The gallery showcases the coastal photography of Koppel, and walking through the space with him is truly a remarkable treat. 

Prior to opening the gallery, Koppel spent 20 years in business consulting in Boston and left in the early 2000s to begin volunteer work with nonprofits. He and his wife currently live in Brewster, and he has also published two books of his work.

“It was really only about eight or nine years ago that I started photographing as a hobby,” Koppel says. “I’d be on the Brewster Flats creating imagery and then unexpectedly it became therapeutic. I began to realize that the images were really turning into expressions of my experiences in these spaces where I felt a deep connection. That’s what launched this into being such a big part of my life. I tend to be an all-in person and I got very excited about this idea of imagery as a form of self expression.”

Inside the gallery is a welcoming and bright space showcasing Koppel's incredible work. The photographs are arranged throughout the gallery on the walls and in viewing booths which gives visitors a very personal chance to engage with the art. Koppel’s process is a fascinating one, and visitors to the gallery will be in for a treat to hear Koppel’s story and get an inside glimpse into his creative mind.

“All of the images that are in the gallery are expressions of these experiences in places where I feel a deep sense of connection,” he says. “When people first come into the gallery one of the first things they ask is, are these paintings or photographs? I think of that as a great complement because I think of them as a painting of nature that I am bringing to life with my camera.”

Koppel’s technical and artistic process is a unique one that involves particular shutter speeds and special techniques in the way he moves the camera. He visits countless locations all around Cape Cod capturing the essence of this profoundly beautiful area. He tends to not name a particular location or beach in his work, but each photo has a special way of conveying the Cape’s natural beauty. Each print is given a name and accompanied by a short statement. 

“Everything I do here is very intentional,” Koppel says. “These images are printed on aluminum and the reason I like that is it becomes more immersive. There’s no glass, no barrier between the viewer and the print. I’m trying to bring the viewer into the same space I was when the image was created. The framing is minimal, so it’s all about the print.”

In the back of the gallery is a wonderful design center where visitors can customize any of Koppel’s photos to fit their spaces at home. The design tool is also available on the Expressions website, where one can select a print and play around with rendering different sizes and frames to fit their particular walls. The design program allows an image to be cropped any way, and with a photo of the space, you can view what any given print and frame would look like before purchasing. Koppel and his team work diligently to ensure that the print is a perfect match for any space in the home.

Expressions Gallery is committed to two nonprofit missions and donates 20 percent of its profits to the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. Koppel serves as the board president at APCC and also founded the EDI Institute (ediinstitute.org), an organization dedicated to helping patients and caregivers navigate healing through expressive digital imagery.

“Arrive empty of expectations…leave filled with gratitude.” Those beautiful words lingered in my mind days after visiting the gallery, and I definitely left with a heart full of gratitude. Be sure to stop in and explore Steven Koppel’s incredible work at Expressions next time you visit downtown Chatham!

Expressions Gallery

578 Main St., Chatham

508-348-1592

expressionsgallery.com