In an unassuming strip mall in Federal Way, the city’s only art gallery gained international attention when it opened in 2022. Gallery K, Federal Way is the only U.S. location of the South Korea based art distributor. The global Gallery K is seeking to spark an innovative art economy in Korea and abroad.

Visiting the gallery located at 2150 South 314th Street in Federal Way, a guest might be surprised to see advertisements for massage chairs in the front windows and models of more chairs throughout the space.

A Korean Beauty salon is also in the space which offers Korean beauty care treatments and products in a room off the main area that hosts the chairs and paintings.

Gallery owner Chae Pak said in an email that the massage chairs are a more recent addition to bring more people into the gallery.

“For those who come to see paintings, we want to provide a space where they can comfortably view works of art, and for those who come because they want to take care of their skin and those who come because they are interested in massage chairs, we want to provide an opportunity to appreciate the works of Korea’s top-class painters,” Pak said.

Pak’s favorite painting is called “Sapgyo Rural Methodist Church”, painted by Cho Young-nam, a famous Korean singer and painter. For the reason, Pak said, “perhaps because I went to a Methodist church in the countryside when I was young,” which makes him feel the most affection toward it.

Artist Cho Young-nam attended the ribbon cutting ceremony in May of 2022 and even performed a mini concert.

The event was even covered by international media outlets and the local Korean broadcast network. In this coverage and on the main website for Gallery K, the gallery is referred to as being located in Seattle.

In an article published by Yonhap News Agency after the opening of the gallery CEO of Gallery K Kim Jeong-pil was quoted as saying, “The reason we built the platform in Seattle ahead of Los Angeles or New York, which have large Korean-American populations, is because it is a city of art.” The article continued by explaining that “his goal is to enable Americans to enjoy the artistic and economic value of Korean art through ‘artnomics’ and ‘art rental’ centered in Seattle.”

The ribbon cutting event was attended by CEO Kim as well as Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell.

The main wall is still covered in fine art with price tags sometimes upwards of $20,000, but facing this gallery wall are a variety of massage chairs boasting AI technology, with one brand describing itself as the “first-ever healthcare robot in massage chair history.”

The South Korea-based art distribution platform Gallery K has 14 locations in South Korea. The company was founded in 2017 and seeks to “popularize Korean art and promote the beauty of Korean art to the world on the same level as K-POP by adding economic value to the artistic value of artworks,” according to their website (translated from Korean by Google Translate.) The main site also explains that “we fully support the promotion and sales of talented artists so that they can focus on their creative activities.”

Pak shared that art is “not an industry where customers flock to you like buying drinks at a grocery store,” and that while “a lot of people like it, the problem is that it is so expensive that many people cannot afford it.”

Despite these challenges, Pak said that he is “satisfied that I have given them peace and a unique experience.”

Pak encourages customers to stop by and enjoy the art while getting a massage in the chairs, which are available for purchase to use in one’s home or even in a commercial sense like in a hotel or spa.

He explained how enjoying the massage inside an art gallery adds to the experience, saying: “Wouldn’t it be better to get a massage while looking at a great work of art rather than mindlessly sitting in a massage chair and getting a massage? I didn’t know much about paintings either, but now that I keep looking at them, I guess I can see the mental world of the artists who painted them. Even people who don’t know it become like that when they look at them.”

In addition to Federal Way’s first art gallery, 2023 marked the first year of the now annual event called the Arts Explosion hosted by the Federal Way Arts Commission and held at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center across the street from Gallery K. This multi-day event features hundreds of artists and art works the region as well as live performances and food.

Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror Soo Yi is an employee at Ace Massage Chairs, a business housed within Gallery K. Behind her is an art piece that may appear to be a painting. Instead, it is an example of a beautiful Korean traditional paper with many textures and colors woven into its fibers.

Luxury massage chairs fill much of the space within Gallery K and a door along the gallery wall leads into a beauty salon specializing in Korean beauty products and techniques. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Gallery K is located in a strip mall close to the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center, where the second annual Arts Explosion was held this year to promote more arts in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror Visitors trying out the massage chairs can enjoy paintings while they shop.

K Beauty is located inside Gallery K as well and features paintings throughout the space. In addition to Korean Beauty products, K Beauty offers tanning services. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.