“I love what Im doing. When you can look out at the water and wonderful people come in and youre surrounded by the most beautiful things, it beats working!”

Located on St. Pete Beach, Florida, the Nancy Markoe Gallery offers an outstanding selection of fine metal jewelry, pottery, glass, wood, fabric, metal works, and paper products. With the majority of her sales in functional potter and jewelry, Nancy’s Gallery contains work from over 500 American artists. The Gallery has been in business for 26 years, and employs 8 people and “2 gallery cats.”

Though Brooklyn-born Nancy Markoe had two careers before crafts, creativity was always at the core. First came the degree in film and broadcast production from NYU, followed by a career in publishing and graphic arts in Washington D.C. By the time her next career – 12 years as a potter – evolved into craft retailing, she had acquired a wide range of skills.

With Bill Clinton as an avid customer, Nancy Markoe’s love of art extends to any shopper. “I try to project to our customers that these crafts are meant to be used and will bring a lot of pleasure into their lives. There’s a lot of joy and energy in the work.” She takes pride in the Gallery’s open selling technique and personal interest in the customer. With a wide range of prices, Nancy tries to reach every audience.

Due to her dedication and love of the work, Nancy’s Gallery has been voted by NICHE magazine as one of the Top 10 Retailers of American Craft for the past 4 years. “I believe in the contribution American craftspeople make and their dedication to discipline, excellence, and beauty.” She selects her employees with care, hiring people with a passion for art. The gallery director, Joey Peters, was a woodworker for 20 years.

All the work shown in the gallery is handmade by American craftspeople. “We are not just selling product. We keep educating the public about the joys of including art in their lives.” Understanding a customer’s need to justify their purchases, she ensures that approximately 80% of the objects in the gallery are functional.

The gallery holds a “wish list” registry, which allows customers to record their personal choices. A gift giver can then use the list as a guide, having the opportunity to give the recipient something he or she really wants, while still surprising them. Nancy also occasionally holds special events such as meet-the-artist days, special exhibitions with artist receptions, and exhibitions that use separate show space adjoining the gallery.

And according to her motto, “the art show never ends.”
NICHE, Winter 1999
NICHE, Summer 1999
NICHE, Winter 1998

That rocket was President Clinton, who dropped in at the gallery to do a little shopping.

Six years ago, after delivering an anti-crime speech at the Pinellas Marine institute, across the street from the gallery, he noticed the sign that Markoe and her co-workers had stretched across the front of ht gallery: “Relax, there's a woman on the job, We love you Hillary.”