NEWS. Benham Gallery will close its doors Thursday after 22 years in the fine-art photography business. Don’t be thrown off by the "fine art" tag, though. Owner Marita Holdaway has long made it her mission to show a combination of work from emerging and established artists, supporting the community over the "almighty dollar," she said earlier this year. Exhibits have ranged black and whites reminiscent of Ansel Adams’ work by Granite Falls photographer Bruce Barnbaum, to interpretations of landscapes by former astronomer Stephen Strom.

If you have a few of those "almighty dollars" and are still looking for gift ideas, consider stopping by Benham at 1216 First Avenue today and tomorrow from 11-6, and Thursday until noon; the gallery is selling off its inventory, which includes photos by its artists from the past two decades. I’m going later this afternoon, so I’ll update with what’s still for sale.

Give Martita a call at 206-622-2480 to set up an appointment after hours. And after Thursday, she’ll still be online, promoting artists in the region through her website/blog, Benham Fine Arts, from her base on the San Juan Islands.