I visited with Diane in her back patio as her busy life swirled around her. Calls from artists, arrangements for an upcoming show, a Spanish class at the other end of the property, drop-ins, none interfered with her being present and good company. As one of the most successful gallery owners in the area she must have had plenty of multitasking practice.
We were at Diane’s new gallery at Santa Margarita 23, Riberas del Pilar. Just before COVID hit and just before she lost her lease, she was in the heart of Ajijic, on the corner of Colón and Ocampo, where her gallery had grown steadily in fame over 18 and a half years. She reminisces fondly about the endless comings and goings—collectors, shoppers, visitors, children, dogs—which she welcomed with deep knowledge of Mexican crafts, fresh cookies, candies, and dog treats.
She has represented over 250 artists, hailing from Chiapas to Chihuahua, many thought of as masters, some chosen to display at the Feria Maestros del Arte. The new gallery, like the old, is full of the finest in Mexican pottery as well as a nice assortment of jewelry, katrinas in multiple styles, some notable paintings and other collectables in tin, wood, and embroidery. It’s your go-to source for Santa Theresa candles, the maker of which she’s been working with since she first opened her doors 24 years ago.
There is also a patio that was a perk of the move that is used for classes, workshops, book launches, whatever her lively imagination and love of all things artistic can dream up and that she generously offers for her many friends to use as well. Many friends—everybody seems to know Diane Pearl.
Diane Pearl was born in Connecticut 75 years ago and lived round and about the US—New York, California, New Mexico—picking up various artistic skills and gallery-running experience along the way. In 2002 she was making silver jewelry in Santa Fe and selling it in a cooperative gallery, which she took over as sole proprietor the following year.
Diane seems to have the perfect balance of mind and heart to make a business fiscally viable while treating all those who contribute with kindness and respect. Though she buys outright most of the work her artists bring her, for art that is consigned, the artist’s share is as generous as it gets.
Her own work will be on display at a gallery in the Berkshires, the area Tanglewood has made synonymous with artistic excellence, at the Berkshire Cultural Point. See berkshirecenterpoint.org for more information about the show. Diane makes art consisting of intricate, graceful lines with layers and layers of patterns that seem to lead into infinity. Their suitability for coloring and for encouraging the creativity of others, made them popular as Dover-published coloring books.
She once did a workshop at LCS called “Eye-Hand Coordination and Conversation” where participants colored copies of her drawings. She thinks of the painstaking work, the fine line, and flawless flow of the curve she is turning out for her show as a tribute to her beloved father who was a tool and die maker and realistic painter, and from whom she inherited her good hand—an accompaniment to the good eye that fills her gallery with treasure.
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- Profile: Diane Pearl - August 29, 2026
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