“Hey Mom, want to buy the gallery?” That seemingly offhand question launched Michelle Norton’s new role as owner of one of Main Street’s most beloved landmarks—Artworks Gallery, which she took over last year. “My son Jon had bought it from the Larrabees, who ran it for decades,” Michelle she smiles.
Founded as a quirky co-op in 1983, Artworks stayed true to its whimsical spirit under the Larrabees’ longtime care. The original space at Fifth and Main—right across from the Post Office—remains the gallery’s home. “Now we buy art wholesale and carry some consignment pieces,” Michelle explains. “Supporting local artists matters deeply to us—and to our customers.” She welcomes artists to drop in: “If your work fits the vibe, your chances are good.” Prices range from $16 to $9,000.
Michelle, once a young painter drawn to watercolor and oils, says art has always “spoken to my heart and emotions—I still feel it personally.” She’s is thrilled her former UVU art professor is among the gallery’s featured artists today.
Her creative spirit carried this native Utahn far afield, including Southern California (“weird fact: I was an LAPD officer for exactly one day after passing boot camp”) and two decades in Northern California, where she ran an almond ranch “with horses, seven dogs, and a potbellied pig.” Along the way, her art evolved into musical expression: she is an accomplished orchestral harpist.
Michelle remembers stopping in at Artworks years ago with family, never imagining she and her son would each own it—or that daughter Breanne would one day work there alongside her. “It’s a beautiful way to spend my retirement,” she says.
“We’re not fancy,” she adds. “People remember us for surprising them - our art invites wonder, and sometimes laughter.”
“The arts are vital to this community,” she says firmly. “I’m always grateful for the imagination and heart of our artists. Their creativity never gets old.”