Bobbe Gillis' Gallery
by Meredith Fletcher
Piedmont Review - Jan. 2003
I don't have a garage so I can't say that my dreams once lived there. Not so for Bobbe Gillis. Gillis' dream
of owning her own gallery spent its formative days residing in her two-car garage in Doraville. She and her
husband added a fresh coat of paint to the walls, installed heat and air conditioning, acquired artwork and opened
for business. Until the dream outgrew the garage. And the spare bedroom. And the living room.
Bobbe Gillis Inc. soon left the garage and moved to its current location on Maple Drive in Buckhead. The business
is a combination of gallery and frame shop, and carries a variety of original artwork from over 35 local and regional
artists. Gillis also stocks limited-edition reprints as well as a number of restrikes, engravings and paintings.
Gillis got her start in the industry with a degree in interior design from the University of Georgia. After years
of experience in various galleries, she made the leap to becoming her own boss in February of 1997. She acknowledges
that the beginning was a bit of a "gangbuster business" while the space got organized, with the fledgling frame
shop taking up residence in the living room, the office spilling over into a spare bedroom and the art adorning
the walls in the garage. Furthermore, her daughter was born the first year, raising the volume on the level of
chaos in the house. Gillis laughs when recalling the event, proclaiming her gallery and child her "two babies," adding,
"It's often been difficult to determine which needs the most attention!"
As her daughter grew, so did the business. Today the gallery and frame shop occupies almost the entire upstairs floor
in the building on Maple Drive. Gillis employs a team of seven - mostly comprised of people she has worked with
throughout the years - and takes great pride in her friendly, knowledgeable staff. She envisions her work as art
consulting: Complete art selection and framing to finish the decorative essence of a home or work environment.
Initially, the team worked mainly with interior designers and corporate clients, but they have recently expanded
into advising residential customers as well. Some of her previous projects include the leasing space inside Post
Properties, the Atlanta Athletic Club, the American Cancer Society and the South Regional Medical Center. While
Gillis enjoys the challenge of completing an entire country club or corporation, she also welcomes the fun of the
private home.
Gillis' personal philosophy on art selection is a simple one: Buy what you enjoy. She elaborates on buying "what
touches you, rather than meticulously matching the home." Artwork may be taken home on approval, and Gillis
strongly recommends clients do so, as "Art should make you feel good."
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