Summer 2022

Area Painter Grows a Thr iving Galler y in Pacific Grove B Y R ENE E B R I NCK S E stablishing a Pacific Grove gallery once felt daunting to artist Alexa Snyder Sims, but she and her husband, Matthew, fought fear with faith. The Yellow Mustard Seed, the Forest Avenue storefront they opened in 2019, is named for a related Bible passage. “It says if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. That was fitting for us, taking this leap of faith and starting a business,” Snyder Sims says. “We want this to be a place that lifts people up—a little reprieve from the world—even if someone just passes through for five minutes.” The 250-square-foot boutique features home goods, gifts and original art, including plein air work, woodblock art, knitted items and Snyder Sims’ own figurative paintings. She accepts new gallery artists each spring and updates the prod- uct selection regularly, giving repeat customers something new to discover with each visit. While online sales helped Snyder Sims weath- er the pandemic, she values in-person exchanges with local clients and vacationers alike. “It just takes one person to come in and say, ‘Wow, I love how this space feels.’ When those one-on-one connections make a difference in someone’s life, their joy sets off a positive chain reaction out in the world,” she says. The Yellow Mustard Seed is located at 210 ½ Forest Avenue in Pacific Grove. For more infor - mation, visit www.shopmustardseed.com or call 831/588-5309. SHORT CUTS ART With their gallery on Forest in Pacific Grove, husband and wife team Matthew and Alexa Snyder Sims offer locally made art and hand crafted gifts and home goods. 76 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 Photo: Kelli Uldall