a little store with a long history
Originally called The Christmas Store, Sign of the Dove Gallery was founded in 1972 by a small group of artists, including Clara Wainwright, the renowned quilter and community leader. It was a seasonal business, opening in mid-November and closing on Christmas Eve, housed in a different Cambridge storefront every year. Customers would drive up and down Mass. Avenue, looking for the familiar red and white logo.
No matter where it was located, it was always a cooperative, with a group of more than 50 artisans working together to create a joyful space to sell their work. In 2003 the co-op opened a smaller year-round store in the Porter Square Shopping Center. The members voted to change the name from The Christmas Store (often confused with The Christmas Tree Shops) to Sign of the Dove. The original store moved to the Mall at Chestnut Hill where it also became a year-round business.
After several successful years, we had to vacate our space in the Mall in October 2015 because we could not get a permanent lease. We were unable to find another suitable location with an affordable rent, and in 2017 we voted to permanently close our seasonal store. The good news is that our one and only store at Porter Square lives on.
Please visit us, sign up for our email list, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Many thanks to our loyal supporters for your continued patronage.
