Gallery A Brings Turkish Textiles to Town

Haluk Ilikyel didn’t have to look far for his profession – it was in his blood.

Ilikyel was born in Turkey and into the textiles business, and though he now lives nearly 7,000 miles from where he was born and raised, that business remains his passion.

“This was all I’ve ever wanted to do,” Ilikyel said as showed off the inventory of textiles and hand-woven kalims his new at 144 Throckmorton Avenue. The A is short for Anatolian, which refers to the western two-thirds of Turkey, where most of Ilikyel’s family remains.

Ilikyel opened his first shop in the Turkish Grand Bazaar in Istanbul in 1987 and moved to the U.S. in 1998.

Gallery A opened at 144 Throckmorton in late February, replacing ’s Arte Sempre store, which is moving online and eyeing a pop-up store in San Francisco later this year

Ilikyel and his wife Jeannie Gregori, who grew up in the Bay Area, moved to Marin a few months ago, relocating their Washington, DC-based gallery of the same name. In doing so, Gregori said they were thrilled to connect with Lucy Mercer, owner of and its adjacent space at 144.

“We just love Mill Valley,” Gregori said. “And this space is just perfect for us.”

Gallery A both imports textiles from Turkey and features the creations of Ilikyel, a lifelong textiles artist. The couple frequently travels to Turkey to visit family and see what’s new in the markets.

The 411: Ilikyel and Gregori are hosting a grand opening party (flyer attached at right) at Gallery A, 144 Throckmorton, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.