By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Ben Perrin says that when he opened MercuryHead Gallery in 1999 he "never made a dime trying to grow the business." Now he has three employees and recently expanded the showroom space to 3,000 square feet—triple its original size.
The gallery at 962 E. Fulton shared a wall with a vacant storefront next door.
"We just opened up the wall to create another room," Perrin says.
The gallery will celebrate its Grand Opening of the new showroom with an artist’s reception this Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. for the Grand Valley Artists (GVA) Spring 2008 Art Competition, a juried exhibition. Featured works—selected from oils, watercolors, and photography submitted by GVA members—will include the winners and honorable mentions of the GVA’s competition.
MercuryHead specializes in offering works by local artists, including Armand Merizon and George Peebles. While Perrin focuses on providing a venue for artists from all over Michigan, the gallery occasionally features works from artists around the globe.
A custom framing service and a unique artsy gift items adds an eclectic feel to the store and entices patrons to stop in often.
"Art sales are up considerably this year and that’s why I dare to expand," Perrin says. "Every year we’re growing, and this seemed like an opportunity to showcase more artists, more works, and provide a larger variety of works for our customers."
Source: Ben Perrin, MercuryHead Gallery
Photo by Brian Kelly
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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at
[email protected].
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