We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amy Grant. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amy below.

Amy , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Art in Bloom Gallery is based upon the Bloom Family name from our maternal grandmother’s side of the family. Despite difficult times in immigrating to the US from Lithuania in the 1890’s, the Bloom family always championed art and created art even when our great-grandparents owned a dairy farm in Wilmington, NC, 1907-1910. Through the generations, we believe in the transformative power of art to change lives and contribute to our community. So, the “Bloom” in Art in Bloom Gallery is dedicated to the past, present, and future generations of artists making the world a better place. Also, the word “bloom” has many other connotations including part of a cycle of life similar to the experimentation and evolution of artists and original art over time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I had the good fortune to grow up with a mother who was an artist. From my earliest memories, I had a chance to draw, paint, sculpt, work with clay, and to take art classes in studio settings. Our family often visited art exhibits, street fairs, and many other art spaces during summer vacation and throughout the year. After considering art school, I ended up majoring in English Literature and Biology eventually receiving an MS in science. After about 25 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, I retired early and opened Art in Bloom Gallery.

Established in October 2015, Art in Bloom Gallery is located in Wilmington, North Carolina in the southeastern United States. The gallery presents an eclectic mix of original paintings, ceramics, sculpture, blown glass, stained-glass mosaics, photography, jewelry, limited-edition prints, and mixed media by established and emerging artists.

I am most proud of contributing to our thriving arts community including use of the gallery space by non-profit organizations and all types of artists, e.g., visual, literary, culinary, theatre, dance, and music. I am also proud of our student internship program supporting the next generation of artists, business people, and other careers. One great thing about art is that it applies to all parts of life and work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I pivoted in business, career, and life due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the shut-down, our gallery team improved our on-line business. For example, we created videos of our artists in their studios. We also improved our website and e-commerce system. From a people perspective, the business moved to remote working until we could reopen our building. We found new and enhanced ways to work together as a team. The gallery was able to retain all employees and eventually had to add more employees due to increased art sales.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn always focusing on the future and perfection. When the gallery opened in 2015, I slowly learned how to focus on the present as well as the future while learning from the past. I learned to own and to embrace my mistakes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aibgallery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artinbloomgallery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtinBloomGallery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-grant-33965b22/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW8LiYMHCCzbVb5LoNki-pw

Image Credits
Art in Bloom Gallery