Bridge between artists and art lovers

You could try to mix business and pleasure or you could just do what Hampstead resident Charles Turner did and combine them in the same building. Many people know about his real estate business, Everyday Dreamers, Inc., on the corner of Highway 17 and Factory Road, but few people know that he opened the Hampstead Art Gallery on the top floor of the building nearly four months ago.

Complete with in-house art curator, Sarah Garriss, the art gallery has been quietly building up a reputation as a bridge between artists and art lovers.

"I help artists. There are a lot here. I recently found three. We decide where the art goes and put in all the walls and make it look pleasing. And every now and then we switch the art around. You can't just look at the same things every time you come in here," said Garriss, explaining just a few of her duties as curator.

The upstairs gallery is a comfortable place to look at the assortment of paintings, photography and quilts for sale. It can be as calm and as comfortable as a museum, but there is usually a businessperson or an artist in one of the adjacent offices ready to offer assistance if needed.

Garriss is recent graduate of UNC-Wilmington who was told my many people that she would having a hard time finding a certain job in this area - the job she has now! Her career aspirations and the new art gallery just happened to come together at the right time. With a characteristic that is a great one in a curator, she was more excited to talk about the work of the artists than about her own job.

Naturally, the framed art work that lines the walls gives life to the gallery, but it's the piles of new art that haven't found wall space yet that also give the place that vibrant feeling. Garriss has stacks and stacks of new art that are in the process of being labeled, categorized and priced for sale. There are a couple of ways artists can be displayed at the gallery.

"We have about 20 artists displayed from as far away as Apex. We do commission. They also can rent wall space. If they rent wall space then we don't do commission. They can bring their stuff in. It's like a consignment shop. And we give them their money. It's really just a place to show your work," said Garriss.

"We try to have events outside. We haven't had one in a while because every time we do it rains. It's like we're cursed. What we want to try to do is have artists come outside on a Saturday and paint - sort of an expo," said Garriss.

While the response from the public can be gauged by how many paintings get purchased off the walls, the response from the artists can be gauged by, well, their own words.

"I like the way I'm being treated. (There is a) good display of art shown beautifully, nice and professional. Good job. Charles seems to be looking out for everyone. It's a beautiful gallery. Everything is presented very well," said artist Donna Estes Spiers.

"The Hampstead Art Gallery has been very receptive to both my watercolor landscapes and my whimsical note cards. I appreciate the professional way they operate the gallery," said Al Lassiter.

The working relationship between Turner and Garriss appears to be comfortably defined. He seems to let her focus on the art related affairs with little intervention, except to make sure the public knows about the deals being offered.

"The focus of the art gallery is that we are affordable art - really affordable art. We're local and we're regional. We've got originals for as low as $10. We're open Monday through Saturday; always open until at least 5 p.m. Sometimes we just don't get here until eleven," laughed Turner.

So if you need to buy a house or you just need some new artwork to put in your house, those things can be found at the same place. For more information, call 800-328-6590.