Mary Fuller notes that ravens represent rebirth.

In a way, she’s experiencing a rebirth of her own, making the transition from being a lifelong educator to an art gallery owner.

Thus was born her gallery’s namesake, The Turquoise Raven Art Gallery, at 104 E. Main St. in Cortez.

It opened Monday after a nine-month process that saw the former warehouse molded into a center conducive to imagination and expression.

While Fuller has long participated in and supported the arts, she’s channeling her eye for design and creativity through a new outlet after serving as a longtime teacher in the Montezuma-Cortez School District, as well as working in adult education and nonprofits.

Ravens are featured in mythology, Fuller said. She’s fascinated by the idea that a group of ravens is called an unkindness – which she attributes to their “sass.“

But the real significance of ravens to her?

“They've got many, many qualities that show perseverance, reflection, rebirth – getting through things in life,” she said.

And so these birds of transformation are depicted in her gallery’s namesake and sprinkled in artwork decorating its vivid walls.

Thursday, an exhibit titled “An Unkindness Among the Art” launched – a nod to the bird so instrumental to the gallery’s identity.

Throughout the 3,000-square-foot, renovated warehouse, paintings, jewelry and other mediums of art are carefully placed, highlighting the work of artists exclusively from the Four Corners region.

A classroom provides further opportunity for intellectual stimulation and community events.

The abundance of space is no accident – Fuller wants people to experience each piece, one by one, with enough room to feel the depth of each creation.

“The space is is very well thought-out,” Fuller said. “It is very intentional.”

Local artist Sonja Horoshko played an instrumental role in the design and opening of the gallery, she said.

“I've learned doing things in isolation isn't useful,” Fuller said. “You need different perspectives and different points of view. That's something I've learned from all my other previous positions. So, I didn't want to make every decision in isolation. I want people to give me feedback.”

For Fuller, taking a small-business leaders class at Pueblo Community College last winter was the final step in implementing her yearslong gallery dream.

The gallery is open Monday and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

Turquoise Raven joins ZU Gallery on Main Street, which opened in September.