Sophie's Gallery & Gift Shop is a studio where adults with developmental disabilities create and display original works of art in a variety of media.
In the 1970s, St. Madeleine Sophie's Center expanded its curriculum to offer its first art classes. With these first classes, an untapped wealth of talent was revealed. Many students who had not been able to express themselves through traditional means were sharing their once hidden feelings through vibrant, original works of art on canvas, wood, glass and other media. In 1999, with generous community support, the art program moved to a storefront in Downtown El Cajon and was named Sophie’s Gallery and Gift Shop. Every week, SMSC students are taught a variety of media, such as print-making, jewelry-making, painting, charcoal, pastels, fabric arts, and more. All of the classes at Sophie’s Gallery are taught by professional artists.
In 2007, we opened a satellite gallery and gift shop, called Sophie's Too, in our new Education Center on our main campus. And, at the end of 2009, we opened a third venue located at the NTC Promenade/Liberty Station where our students show their work alongside artists from the general community. This third site is proving to be an effective way to raise public awareness about our programs and engage the support and interest of artists from the general community.
To view the work of Sophie's Gallery artists, please visit the El Cajon gallery Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; or the NTC gallery, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.
