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Trails End Gallery
Interview With Owner and Founder Timothy Nielsen​

TNYO: Tim Nielsen, please tell us how you came to create this amazing place in the sprawling
terrains of The Inland Northwest.

Tim Nielsen: My wife Nondis and I were thinking about our next chapter and where we might want to
live & retire. Chewelah, Washington was an obvious choice since Nondis was born and raised here and
we had a chance to buy the family farmhouse.

Chewelah checked off a lot of boxes with mountains, lush valleys, good ski resort, small town, close to Canada,
kayaking lakes and a town enjoying a renaissance with a good vibe. We had been coming up to ski for 15 years so
​had an idea of what we were in for. The inland northwest is dryer, and we get more snow than Portland where we came from.

A plus in my book. It’s also fun to be a part of the cultural development of the town. Pretty amazing place & people
with an active performing arts theater, arts guild, and the Chewelah Creative District. The town has
historical roots in agriculture, timber, resource extraction and now seems to strike a balance with winter
& summer tourist attractions and a thriving downtown community with great restaurants, shops,
services, and cultural attractions like our gallery.
So much going on  for a small town and the people are genuine.

TNYO: As an artist and possibly more important a jewelry designer by trade (although they are one and the
same to me), which is first for you and how does that play into the greater concept of being a gallery owner?

Tim Nielsen: I consider myself an artist first, sculptor second and jewelry currently is the synthesis of
both. There was a learning curve for the gallery but we had years of attending gallery openings in
Portland and at least knew what the look and feel was for shows. A lot of our artist friends are art
teachers at the high school and university level so we’ve had a lot of input when needed. Nondis also
has a degree in art and had gallery management classes. I think a lot of this is intuitive and being an
artist does help. My jewelry business is also located within the gallery and the two businesses are quite symbiotic.

TNYO: How do you go about curating your art exhibitions?

Tim Nielsen: I’ve spent a lot of time networking with other artists to develop our portfolio of artists.
We’re currently booked with shows deep in to 2024 and have ample space to show the artists we like on
a year-round basis. We’ve created a break with short walls in the gallery space which makes a nice
division between the current show and permanent space. As far as curating an actual exhibit I work with
the artist when needed to help craft the narrative & presentation of the show. It all seems organic to
me. Most of our artists are professionals and are well along on their paths. We’re here to help present
what’s been created.

TNYO: Tim, where are you from? Can you tell us about your journey from where you came from as a
little boy to where you are now and how that inspired you to do what you do as an artist, master jewelry
designer, and gallery owner?

Tim Nielsen: I grew up in Portland, Oregon and always liked art as a kid. My parents enrolled me in art
classes at the Museum Art School to help nurture this. Graduating from high school I started college as a
biology major but after a semester I switched to general studies and ultimately received a BFA with
sculpture and jewelry/metalsmithing as my concentrations. My first love is probably sculpture but
jewelry seemed more practical and allowed me to earn a living. 40 years in the business and I still love
what I do and yes, have fun at it. The gallery was a logical development once we moved to Chewelah,
WA as I had extra space in the building where I located my studio.

​With growth we doubled the gallery space after two years and moved recently to a new building with three
times the old gallery space plus room for my jewelry studio and storage. Business has grown steadily since
moving to the small town of Chewelah despite the ups and downs of the outside world.
TNYO: Are you a silversmith? What is a silversmith from your perspective?

Tim Nielsen: I think I’m a metalsmith who chooses to work in silver, gold or platinum as the design
allows. I like silver for working on bigger projects as it’s more affordable and encourages me to take
risks. I do a lot of relief work with texture and with silver you can antique to get rich dark and light
accents. Most of my jewelry is manufactured in gold and the lost wax process is my specialty.
​Most of my jewelry is finely sculpted with shapes that lend themselves to the lost wax process.

I enjoy the process of visualizing what I want to make in a block of wax and working with the subtractive process to
reveal the design within. The process is fairly academic once I start, and I always leave room for changes
along the way as the design evolves. I’m inspired by the natural world, fractal shapes and sometimes the
beauty of a well cut stone.

TNYO: What are your favorite jewels you like to work with? Can you give us a breakdown of the many
jewels you work with and what people may most look for when they commission you to work with their
vision?

Tim Nielsen: Most of my gold jewelry is with diamonds or colored stones. A well cut stone is still a
marvel to me and has its’ own level of artistry and craftsmanship. My clients are almost all referral and
have usually seen my work at this point and come in with their ideas and we go from there. Whether
they give me specific ideas, we co-create, or I come up with a design I enjoy the challenge. The
important thing is the satisfaction of my clients.

With sterling silver my go to stone is turquoise. There is such a range or color and it pairs perfectly with
silver. Lately I’ve been cutting my own shapes to suit my designs. It is an affordable favorite and I have a
hard time keeping sterling/turquoise jewelry in the case.

TNYO: How far and wide does your jewelry business span - is it national and also international?

Tim Nielsen: I’ve shipped some of my sterling creations around the globe including Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, England, France, Germany and the United Arab Emirates and of course throughout the
USA. My fine jewelry is sold mostly in the northwest, but I have private clients throughout the states.
My wholesale clients are generally in the western US.
TNYO: You mentioned that you may paint at some point.  I would ask you what you will paint when you decide to?

Tim Nielsen: I don’t rule painting out but would like to return to my sculpture roots and work in bronze
or cast resin depending on the piece.

TNYO: If you did not do what you are doing, what might you do?

Tim Nielsen: Professional skiier if I could make it pay. Ha! I also thought it would be interesting to be one
of the artisans that creates the full-size clay models for cars. Most of this work is probably done on CAD
but auto design would be interesting.
TNYO: How important is it to have fun in your life or anyone's life?

Tim Nielsen: I love my profession. It has challenges like all pursuits, but I genuinely have fun. I think it’s
important to be passionate about your life and having fun is a big component. The gallery is a great way
to engage people and hopefully be a valuable member of the community.

TNYO: Why the name The Trails End Gallery?

Tim Nielsen: My first sterling silver was called the Trails End Collection. I thought it evoked the West and
themes from nature. When we moved up to Chewelah my business was literally at the end of Flowery
Trail Road so Trails End Gallery was born. It fits the area and captures the narrative of the inland
northwest.

TNYO: Upon entering your gallery the other night you played jazz music - some of my favorite music. Can
you choose a favorite song that you might like to listen to while you work so that our readers may also
listen?
​
Tim Nielsen:​ Good question. You came into Les McCann and Eddie Harris. One of my favorite albums
Swiss Movement. I really enjoy jazz when I’m doing stone setting and dip into the blues and classic rock
depending on the mood.

Trails End Gallery 
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