Not one, but two new galleries in Vashon town will debut during the First Friday gallery cruise.

A collaborative shop opens in the heart of town

SAW, a small shop that will feature artwork and crafts by Vashon artists, will open its doors Friday night as part of the Gallery Cruise.

The new shop is a joint venture that will be run by five Islanders — Heather, Colin and Kelly Brynn, Maggie Smith and Sophia Stendahl. All five of them had items in Good Merchandise, a shop that stood in that location until it closed earlier this year.

The name SAW stems from the role that the shop played years ago, when it was a part of the adjacent hardware store and was the place where people got their saws sharpened, said Heather Brynn. It’s also an acronym, she said — Starving Artist Works.

“We’re still looking for more art and more artists,” Brynn said.

Stendahl said she’s glad to be giving the little shop another lease on life. All five partners “enjoyed having their work displayed at the former shop and didn’t want to see it disappear,” she said. “It’s a great space in a great location.”

Monarch flies in with art, antiques and more

Islanders John Pearce and Anna Kinsler are the owners of Monarch Gallery, a new shop featuring antiques, collectibles, fine art and jewelry, located in the gas station complex next to Snapdragon.

Pearce, who previously owned Chilkat Trader, located in the old McFeeds building, said he is happy to open his new shop in a “friendly, visible spot” and that he will offer lots of interesting merchandise.

“Look for lots of glass cases filled with small, precious things,” he said, adding that he would offer Diego Rivera drawings, Space Needle concept art, Chihuly glass and a chair that was used by Marilyn Monroe.

The shop will open on First Friday, with a reception featuring French champagne served in crystal glasses.