Auction bids farewell to Broadway gallery owner

Friends of the late Steve Craig hosted an auciton yesterday at RampArt Co-Op Artist Gallery in downtown Tacoma. Craig, a Tacoma Power employee, opened the gallery and antique store at 712 Broadway in 2004. His body was discovered Feb. 19, after friends reported he had been absent from the artist community for several days. Investigators believe Craig died of natural causes, and there was no foul play or signs of assault or burglary. On March 1, artists held a memorial at the gallery for Craig. RampArt was a kitschy and funky gallery that offered a variety of items ranging from original artwork, newspapers and photographs documenting Tacoma history, vintage furniture, and old magazines and books. Yesterday, visitors lined up at 9 a.m. to inspect the items, and began to bid at 10 a.m.