Gallery News
Uptown Dallas design store begets fabulously approachable art gallery
A Dallas interior design store has been selling so much art that it's opening a gallery to keep up the pace. Blue Print Store will beget Blue Print Gallery, a spinoff next door to the mothership, at 2701 Fairmount St. that will be dedicated entirely to fine art. The store will also bring new artists to Texas for the fist time.
The original store is a furniture boutique offering high-end antiques, modern light fixtures, art, and accessories. It was opened in 2010 by a quintet of interior designers who needed a place to stash their cool antique finds.
"We work with a lot of designers, doing custom pieces," says spokesperson Kate Elpers. "So if you're a designer looking for something unique, or a homeowner who wants to furnish on your own, you can find a one-of-a-kind piece and buy it off the floor."
The five owners behind Blue Print include Cynthia Collins of Collins Interiors, Caroline Eastman of Eastman Interiors, Leslie Jenkins of Jenkins Interiors, Carrie Jane Pogoloff of Blue Print Interiors, and Lucy Ward with Collins Interiors.
In the past two years, their art collection has blown up and expanded. Curated by Lauren Zogg, the new gallery will represent more than 50 artists from around the world. It will be open Monday–Saturday from 10 am–5 pm and will host new exhibitions monthly.
"We are perhaps different from the traditional gallery in that we're a little more welcoming and approachable," Elpers says. "We're there for the art collector trying to find a fine piece, or for the homeowner just starting out. On a typical Saturday, we'll get 15 couples coming in to look for art for their house."
With that demand and with their collection stacking up, they felt that the art deserved a better platform for presentation. Like the original store, the gallery is going into a century-old home which they're in the process of renovating.
"There's so much to look at that we wanted to give the option to see the art displayed on a wall, and give each piece more of a voice," Elpers says.
To accommodate and show more works than a typical gallery, there will be several viewing rooms where clients can peruse additional stored inventory.
They'll host an opening reception on April 5, with an exhibit featuring Charles Patrick, who pins paper butterflies into unique shapes; Mary Rountree Moore, an abstract landscape painter; Rick Beck, a hand cast glass sculptor; and Marilla Palmer, a collage artist who works with pressed foliage, holographic papers, and embroidery.
"We have all kinds of work, from contemporary landscapes to non-traditional pieces," Elpers says. "We have artists coming to us who want to show at Blue Print."
In addition to local buyers, they're also selling many pieces to out-of-towners.
"I'll post a picture and people will buy it from Instagram," Elpers says. "We have a dedicated following, and a lot of artists follow us as well. Artists can now show their work on Instagram, and it's changing the game on how galleries work."
