Thornebrook Gallery celebrates 30th anniversary

If you're a customer of the Thornebrook Gallery, Tricia Fisher probably knows you.

The gallery manager knows if your mother's ears aren't pierced or if she prefers long, dangling earrings. She knows where your brother goes to school, if your dad's knife collection could use an update and whether you prefer abstract paintings or nature scenes.

If gallery owner David Arrighi orders a piece Fisher thinks you'd like, she'll give you a personal phone call.

Originally opened in 1981 by two UF alumni as a framing shop, it is this sense of intimacy and friendliness that has kept the Thornebrook Gallery alive for 30 years - a milestone which the gallery will celebrate throughout the month of September.

The gallery, located in the Thornebrook Village shopping center off Northwest 43rd Street, is filled with art ranging from paintings, artisan jewelry and glass sculptures to intricate knives, woodworking and pottery. But it hasn't forgotten its origins in framing.

A wall in the back of the store boasts six sliding displays of frames - a service the gallery and its employees take pride in.

"What we attempt to do with the frames is enhance what is already there," Fisher said.

The 1980s frame shop slowly grew into an art gallery as the owners began displaying the two-dimensional artwork, such as paintings and photography, of local artists.

As the gallery continued to grow, Arrighi expanded his collection to include other three-dimensional mediums such as glass, jewelry and ceramics.

The 30th anniversary is a celebration of both local artists and the relationship they have with the Thornebrook Gallery.

The gallery will kick off its celebration on Sept. 9 with "The Mob" - a showcase of 37 local artists that will run through Sept. 14.

Each artist will bring one piece to display and sell, and the gallery will provide live music and refreshments.

The party will continue through the following weekend with the opening of the gallery's Trish Beckham exhibit - a local artist who paints realistic Floridian nature scenes - and the launch of Gallery Magazine, a publication focusing on local art, culture and food.

Hand-blown glass flowers adorn the shop at Thornebrook Gallery, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary throughout September.