Bill Shores Frames and Gallery

WE’RE IN

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 21:41:56 +0000

It was a little like losing 45 pounds in one week, but we managed to squeeze ourselves into this cheerful little house and actually found it (almost) immediately comfortable. We had done our homework, with “to scale” floor plans and lots of hauling the”unnecessary” to either storage or the dumpster. Funny how unnecessary a thing can become when you take a long hard look at what it really contributes to your well-being. LOTS of things made it to the dumpster.

It wasn’t until about 10 days before the move that I concluded the only place for my office would be the former “waiting room” for the salon that previously occupied this house. Basically, that meant customers would have to enter by going through my office. Talk about an incentive to keep the place in order! While it’s a little weird, it really is a comfortable office. And it makes for interesting conversation immediately!

The amazing thing is how well the whole place functions. It may be close quarters, but they are very user-friendly quarters. There is an easy flow to the work area that neither Bonnie or I ever expected. And when you separate the framing area from the gallery, everything becomes less stressful with far fewer interruptions. Add a little James Taylor on the CD player, and we are ready to work . . . . . . . . And thankfully, people are bringing us just that – WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WE’RE MOVING!!

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:52:25 +0000

After another long spell of silence, it’s time to share our good news. We are moving to a new location – actually just a few blocks away- on Cherokee Blvd. How is that for an appropriately named street?

The place is somewhat unique. It’s the only house with a tiny patch of real grass actually fronting on Cherokee Blvd. Built in 1910, it has that wonderful “lived in” slope to the floors, and is filled with sunlight. As the owner said when I first entered the door “This is a happy house”.

We will be open for business at 518 Cherokee Blvd. on Friday, July1st. Now I need to explain further, as that is just the beginning of this adventure. When we open there, we will be functioning as a frame shop only – no gallery per se, although we will have some jewelry and a few other items for sale. You see, while the little house is charming, it’s not big enough to be both frame shop AND gallery. But don’t worry – there is a gallery coming!

The owner has been working at fiber optic speed to purchase the property behind the house for a second building. Once erected, THAT building will become the frame shop, and the little house will be the gallery. The timelines are uncertain at present, but we are hoping for a late Fall opening.

Please stay tuned. We will try to provide some progress reports and pictures.

Celebrating the Earth!

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:38:45 +0000

Has anyone else noticed how Earth Day has turned into Earth Month? Just check your local calendars if you don’t believe me – there is a lot going on. 2 NorthShore has picked Saturday, April 16 as the “official” day to celebrate here, and we have asked one of our favorite Eco-friendly artists to join us for the occasion. You may already be familiar with his wonderful frames and mirrors made from barn “tin” roofs and other scrap metals. but this time CLAY BINKLEY has taken up much smaller metal pieces to build some very artful jewelry. For a guy who lives in the quiet peace of Monteagle mountain, he can create some very urban looking pieces from found “country” materials. Please drop by Saturday to enjoy his latest work. We even have a new table he made . . . . . come see. And on a disappointing note, our Cherokee Folk Artist who planned to visit us in May has had to cancel those plans. The high price of travel is hard for many artists to absorb these days. We have asked him to ship some prints our way, and will let you know when they arrive.

Welcome to Our New Blog/Website

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 11:25:02 +0000

A lot has been going on. We have added several new artists, and established a new position to help with commercial accounts. You might not be aware of it, but for many, many years, Bill Shores Frames & Gallery has been the primary framer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. We are very proud of the work we do for them, and grateful that they chose us to do it.

We hope to expand our commercial work by providing that same kind of assistance to others. That’s where our new program call “Art Made Easy” applies. For more information, please take a look at the “Art Made Easy” tab above.

This blog will become the place for us to introduce you to the art available in the gallery and to the artists who produce it as well. This is where you will learn about our future shows, exhibits, book-signings and sales. So before you look at anything else (including our new video), PLEASE CLICK THE SUBSCRIBE BUTTON RIGHT NOW!! We look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Kathy