About Us
About Us
Joyful
Fresh
Authentic
Located in the heart of downtown Morgan Hill, Colibri Gallery is the dream of Dan and Kathy McCranie. As long-time residents of the South County area of Silicon Valley, and avid art collectors, they have supported local visual arts toward becoming an arts destination for the greater Bay Area while also promoting incredible professional artists.
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Colibri Gallery opened to the public in October 2020 with the help of Gallery Director Ellie Honl Herman. Bolstered by the incredible support of the community, and a talented team, Colibri has grown and now offers art workshops by esteemed artists, has exhibited at an international art fair, organizes an annual plein air event, and curates new exhibitions every 2 months.
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The Colibri Gallery team hand-selects fresh, impactful and quality artwork from across the country representing 2D and 3D artwork, textiles, and jewelry. They are the champions of their artists and are excited to share, educate, and inspire.
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NEWS
We've broken ground! The Edes Building will be our new home when it is completed in early 2024. Located at the SW corner of Monterey Road and Second Street in downtown Morgan Hill, the contemporary building designed by KTGY Architects and being built by Kent Construction will consist of two multifaceted levels for art exhibitions, workshops, and public art programming, as well as a high-end wine cafe.
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Taking inspiration from the local landscape, the building is designed to be a work of art. Utilizing Mass Timber throughout the building and incorporating sculptural elements in the architecture, the layout will have an open and contemporary ambiance that is both warm and welcoming.
OUR TEAM
Learn more about our dedicated and talented Colibri Gallery team.
Ellie Honl
Gallery Director
Ellie is a visual artist originally from the Midwest who now calls Morgan Hill her hometown. Ellie has a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking from the University of Iowa and a BA in studio art from St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Along with working in several art museums and galleries, she also worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Arizona State University and Indiana University where she taught undergraduate and graduate studio art students.
Ellie joined Colibri in 2017 and found that her background in printmaking, book arts, and sculpture made a natural fit for frame design and conservation framing. In 2018, she was promoted to general manager and she has since overseen the expansion of Colibri's framing facility and the formation of Colibri's professional art gallery in the fall of 2020. She loves finding and promoting incredible artists, invigorating the arts in the area, and connecting with the community through free events, art workshops, and gallery tours.
Ellie lives in Morgan Hill with her husband, two daughters, and her little dog Fritz. On the weekends you will most likely find her at the Farmer's market, on a playground, or at Home Depot getting supplies for diy home reno projects.
Brie Lindley
Gallery Assistant / Curator
Brie is an artist from Morgan Hill, CA. She holds a BFA in Pictorial Art from San Jose State University and practices art under the pseudonym, Brie Janae Blue. She brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Colibri, including an internship as Gallery Assistant at San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Studio Art Program Coordinator and Visitor Services Liaison for NUMU Los Gatos and Sales Associate at the now closed University Art Center in San Jose.
Since joining Colibri in 2022, Brie has been involved in curating/ installing bi-monthly art exhibitions. She's managed Colibri’s booth at the annual Art Market San Francisco Art Fair. Alongside Gallery Director Ellie Honl, Brie aided in the creation of Colibri Gallery’s Art Workshops Program that successfully launched in Fall 2022. Brie loves working each day with her cohort Ellie, meeting artists, sharing artwork with the community and being a champion for Colibri’s catalog of current and future artists.
In her free time, Brie enjoys spending time with her husband, Daniel and their three cats, visiting museums/galleries, and listening to podcasts in her studio.
Jack Gonzales
Art Handler / Framer
Jack is a visual artist who graduated in 2012 from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. Since graduating, he has worked as a freelance artist who has painted murals and commissioned pieces, created logos and designs, helped create a monthly Artwalk for the community of Alameda, curated artwork for different establishments, taught painting classes and has finally come back to his hometown of Morgan Hill to raise his son with his loving wife.
Currently, he is the framing manager and designer here at Colibri. During his time off, he helps with his family’s elderly home care business and has been venturing into real estate with his brothers. He also enjoys basketball, music and movies, curating and reselling vintage and trending fashion, creating original artwork, and being present as his son continues to grow.
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Abigail Dunnivan
Art Handler / Framer
Abigail is a talented and successful pastel artist who also does commission artwork. In addition, Abby is an accomplished artist in the field of watercolor, charcoal, and pen and ink.
At Colibri Art and Framing, Abby puts her extensive knowledge of color, design, and composition to great use in working with our customers to create truly unique custom products that enhance the art being framed.
Working as a successful commission artist AND at Colibri Art and Framing provides little free time for Abigail. When she is able to take some time off, Abigail enjoys riding and working with her horses as well as nature photography.
Dan and Kathy McCranie
Owners
Dan and Kathy have been residents of the South County area of Silicon Valley for almost 40 years. For most of those years, Dan was involved in high-tech management, predominantly in silicon chips. Beginning in 2011, the McCranie family began a slow process of disengaging from large high-tech companies and engaging in new, local enterprises. To that end, they created the restaurant Ladera Grill in downtown Morgan Hill and are now in the process of creating an additional mixed-use, multistory retail facility in downtown Morgan Hill.
The purchase of FastFrame™, and the subsequent conversion of that business to Colibri Art and Framing, is a continuation of their dream to provide interesting and high-quality dining and non-dining retail businesses for the Morgan Hill community.
The couple enjoys both adventure travel and, when not on the road, quality time with their four dogs. Dan’s hobbies include photography, painting, and hiking; Kathy enjoys walking, needlepoint, and reading.