Upon arrival, you’ll find a plain exterior, and you have to look to see which door is marked The Rose and Crown Art Gallery. The taupe building is unremarkable with brown and white striped awnings flagging the various entries. As you push open the door with the gallery’s logo etched on it and step inside, everything changes. You feel as though you know how Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz felt when she stepped out of her plain, black and white world into something so vibrant, so exquisite and so far beyond anything she’d ever imagined. Like her, you find yourself utterly amazed.

It’s clear that artist/owner Stephanie Conroy knew precisely what she was doing when she painted the standard white walls with the rich and dramatic deep moss green and burgundy that offers the space immediate warm appeal. The curtains are luxurious, and their paisley pattern is both elegant and a bit bohemian with the kaleidoscope of color mimicking and complimenting the hue of the walls. The three-sided black display towers in the main gallery (where the work of the current feature artist is displayed) are striking and in perfect balance with their environment.

And then there’s the reason, the vision if you will, for the gallery: the art. You wonder how, in four short weeks, a gallery came to represent 36 regional artists - their work lining the heavily textured walls. Conroy, well known in the area for her mural painting, opened her studio in January 2008 with the idea of expanding her scope to incorporate canvas art and give her a place to teach various types of art classes. “But,” she’ll tell you, “the goal was always to create a place where other artists could display their work as well.” After speaking with area artists, and in the wake of numerous galleries closing in El Paso, Las Cruces, Ruidoso and surrounding areas, Conroy knew there was interest and even a growing need for a place where local talent could show their work. A mere five months later, the opportunity to rent the space next to her studio came available and, though it was much sooner than she’d envisioned, she decided to take the plunge. On May 27, she rented the space and broke through the connecting wall. One month later, on June 27, she opened the gallery with a very eclectic collection on display, representing 24 artists. In order to enable the public to visit often, and continually be exposed to new pieces, artists are required to change out their work every three months.

There is much on the horizon for Conroy with some help from local artist/art promoter Al Borrego, who has generously advised and assisted her through this evolution. “The gallery is about getting exposure for the artists,” says Conroy. And, to that end, Borrego has managed to arrange agreements to send some of the art to seven Dallas businesses where they will be hung in various atriums for view and purchase.

Conroy is interested in crossing conventional lines. “I want to appeal to a larger demographic than just the same consumer base who have appreciated art for years,” she says. “I want a serious gallery, but where everybody feels comfortable coming in to enjoy the art.” Because Conroy appreciates the fact that not everyone can afford an original, she also shows a handful of limited edition signed giclees that retail for a fraction of that of the original. A giclee is produced by digitally capturing an original and transferring it onto canvas. The giclees in her gallery are so masterfully done, it’s truly difficult to tell them from originals.

“There is no reason why El Paso shouldn’t be an art destination much like Phoenix or Santa Fe,” says Conroy. And, with her art classes filling up and the feature artist exhibits already booked through December, it’s clear that she’s on a mission to make that happen.