Waiguoren Critic of South China

I made an interesting discovery today on a walk around the neighborhood with one of the new teachers.
We were specifically searching for small items that could be used to decorate classrooms. On the way back we stopped off in the local art gallery. I had never been inside, but I knew that the gallery provided art classes to residents.
After looking at the back wall of student work that was quite impressive, we heard a call from upstairs.
"Hello. Where are you from?"
"Wo men lai zi Meiguo," I responded.
The man walked down the steps and spoke with us. He was the owner and artist of the gallery.
He explained that this is only a branch gallery--his main gallery is in Vancouver. He's even a Canadian citizen.
We proceeded to talk about art and where we've been. He showed us articles and photos about his work and galleries around the world. I must admit, his work is quite impressive. If it wasn't so large, I might consider purchasing some. But what would I do with a painting that big? And how would I ever get it back to the U.S.?
Anyway, I've now discovered that there is a very friendly artist who is in the area part of the year. The fact that his English is quite good helps as well. The only other artist I know doesn't speak any English, so communication is difficult.