Artist Sitka and his wife Helaine Gulergun, former textile designers for Ralph Lauren, have opened Sitka Home Art Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston. After careers in New York's competitive fashion scene—where they worked with Ralph Lauren for over 20 years—the couple relocated to Boston following 2015 layoffs. Sitka returned to fine art painting, initially selling hand-painted scarves and pillows on Wayfair, then dedicated himself fully to painting during the pandemic. The gallery, which opened in late 2025, features Sitka's colorful, nature-inspired works influenced by Cape Cod and Boston Public Garden, with some pieces intentionally kept off the market.
This story matters because it highlights the transition from commercial fashion design to fine art, demonstrating how artists can reinvent themselves later in life. The gallery's success on prestigious Newbury Street—a major Boston art and retail corridor—shows that personal, locally rooted art spaces can thrive alongside established institutions. It also underscores the resilience of creative professionals who adapt after industry downturns, turning personal passion into a public-facing gallery that has already received warm community feedback.