There’s one thing senior gallery director Liza Rawls wants everyone to know about Vinings Gallery: It’s a full-service art gallery. With two locations and a framing shop, all located within close proximity, there is a wide variety of art and art consulting services wrapped up in the Vinings Gallery experience. “We want you to fall in love with a piece of art, and we’ll make the rest of the process easy—framing it, getting it home and installing it,” Rawls says.
The full range of services includes try-it-before-you-buy-it opportunities for homeowners and chances for collectors to meet artists and hear about their creative processes while watching them paint during regular monthly events at the gallery. “We strip away the mystery of art and the creation process,” adds Rawls. “One of our key services is connecting our clients with the artists we represent. Collectors can talk directly with the artist who painted their piece.”
Vinings Gallery currently represents about 30 artists, but visitors can view and purchase the works of many other artists that the gallery has represented over the years. The roster of artists continues to increase as the gallery’s owners discover new talent. “We added three new artists in 2024: glass artist Tim Lotton, local painter Marilyn Sparks and surrealist painter Michael Cheval,” says Rawls.
Originally launched 24 years ago in Vinings, Georgia, Vinings Gallery currently has two galleries sited across the street from each other in historic Downtown Roswell. The initial gallery opened on Elizabeth Way about 15 years ago. It features art from classical, representational and photorealist artists. “A few years after moving to Roswell, a retail shop closed on Canton Street, and co-owner Gary Handler decided it would be a perfect spot to open a second Vinings Gallery location featuring modern pop art that appeals specifically to a younger crowd and carries a more affordable price point,” says Rawls. “We love being a part of the Roswell community. It’s a walkable town that brings locals into our gallery, as well as a destination town that allows visitors to see and experience our artists.”
Vinings Gallery has developed a following over the years, much of it built on Handler’s dedication to clients and artists, his relaxed style and accessibility, and his vast knowledge of art, design and composition gathered over more than 30 years in the business. He credits the success of the gallery to an extraordinary level of service. “We have great friendships with many of our clients, who enjoy our special artist and wine tasting events and the evolving gallery inventory while also relying on our in-home art consulting services. We’re dedicated to good old-fashioned customer service and personally hang most of the pieces we sell to our Atlanta-based clients. I get a lot of satisfaction out of working with clients and helping them search for and find just the right piece of art, knowing they’ll enjoy it for a lifetime,” explains Handler.
The nearby framing shop in Kennesaw, run by Vinings co-owner and artist Denard Stalling, completes the trifecta. Stalling frames the gallery’s art but also custom builds frames for museums and to upgrade clients’ personal artwork. Stalling, who has been painting since he was 8 years old, gives Vinings Gallery an edge in custom framing, with his creative eye and unique designs that turn handmade and imported frames into extensions of the art they display. “The soul of the gallery can be found in our sheer love for great art and artists,” Stalling says.
Many of the gallery’s represented artists, like Stalling, are creatives in more than a single discipline. In addition to his frame building, Stalling is nationally known for his paintings of different subjects but currently focuses on painting musical instruments, which he says are as elegant as the music is powerful.
“I love working here because Vinings Gallery is different than any other gallery at which I have worked,” Rawls says. “We have close relationships with our artists, some going back 20 or more years. We have discovered many of our artists and brought them to the attention of collectors for the first time. We are always trying to figure out who’s going to come off the wall when we are looking for new artists to represent. Art is so personal, so there’s that aspect as well, but we enjoy seeing our artists get better and better every year.”
While Rawls oversees the twin galleries in Downtown Roswell, Handler has moved with his family to open a sister gallery in Rosemary Beach, Florida, called Curate 30A. He offers a collection of art that is sought-after in that market. “We offer a no-pressure environment in art buying and regularly host exclusive shows and live painting performances that allow the artist and collector to connect, adding immeasurable value to each acquisition and making the process of collecting truly personal,” he says.
Back at Vinings Gallery, the staff stays busy hosting monthly events where collectors get the opportunity to see and hear from both seasoned and emerging artists. From October 18–20, California impressionist Michael Flohr will visit the gallery to talk about his unique process of painting in a dark room with a single light shining on the canvas. As a past official artist of the Kentucky Derby, Flohr will display and discuss his popular modern urban scenes and equine artwork. Surrealist painter John-Mark Gleadow will present in the gallery November 15 and 16. His stylized paintings look like photographs with a slight twist. He is known for detailed brushwork and loves to play with the audience by painting unexpected visual details. Rounding out the year on December 7 and 8, former sign painter Thomas Arvid will discuss his prolific body of work and his rise to notoriety as a painter of wine art. A returning favorite at Vinings Gallery, many of Arvid’s events feature his paintings of red wine in a festive atmosphere where participants bring bottles of wine to share. “Arvid’s glasswork renderings are incredible. His artwork really resonates with people,” says Rawls.
The busyness at Vinings Gallery is the heartbeat of the team of art professionals who run it. “We love what we do, and we love sharing artists’ stories and breaking down barriers to understanding and enjoying fine art,” Rawls says. “It is important to us to welcome everyone into the gallery, including children. Above all, we want people to connect with art. It’s rewarding when someone buys a piece of art for the first time and it changes their lives because they feel a connection to it. We don’t need art to survive, but our souls need it to thrive.”
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and art.
