It all began in 1964 when my older brother, Dick, opened the Leather Shed in the small college town of Amherst in Western Massachusetts. He had been doing leather work in the basement of our parent's home in Holyoke for about a year and was ready to start selling his work to the public. I began working for Dick in 1971 doing some leather crafting and working the retail part of the business. In 1972, the workshop moved to Dick's home, and I ran the store on a full time basis.

My dream of owning the Leather Shed became a reality in 1974. Within two years, I expanded the merchandise and the store became known for high quality work by American craftspeople. During the 1970s, the American crafts movement began to boom, and I traveled the country extensively seeking the finest crafts available. I was amazed at the wealth of talented artisans, and many of these artists are still represented in my gallery today. These relationships, spanning nearly three decades, have been essential to my success and are very special to me.

After several successful years of owning the Leather Shed, I decided to open a second store. I chose Northampton, which back in 1978 was a mere shadow of what it is today. The town was just beginning to change and I took a real chance opening a gallery when there were no others.

I sold the Leather Shed in 1984, and since then, I have given The Don Muller Gallery my all. To be recognized as one of the Top Ten craft galleries in North America is a humbling honor. I am very proud of growing from a small businessman to a successful gallery owner, employing several other people.

I am very grateful to all my loyal customers who have supported me throughout the years. A few pounds heavier and several gray hairs later, I am still having fun in this business. It's been a great ride through the years, and the best is yet to come.

- Don Muller