Okay, this is going to be a tough one.

 

The story of the frame wall.

 

Here we go…

 

Establishing Serendipity's Girl LLC, deciding to open Gallery SG, signing a lease to make that happen came about incredibly fast…within a matter of weeks. Construction of the physical space for Gallery SG has been a little different story…about six months when it's all said and done. In the grand scheme of things though, still pretty quick. The dream of opening a gallery, on the other hand, has been years in the making. If I am completely honest, deep down I think I believed that was all it was ever going to be…a dream. Who am I to open a gallery? What do I know about running a business? And the scariest question of all…what if I fail? Here are my answers to those questions…

 

• I am Laura Johnson. Why not me?

• I know more about running a business than I think I do and the rest I can learn.

• I might fail. But what if…WHAT IF…I don't? I will never know if I don't try. Ultimately, isn't that…the trying…success in and of itself?

 

When we do something big, like making a dream into reality, I think we have a natural compulsion to want those who are most important to us to be a part of it or at least be excited for and proud of us. I have the most incredible support system…inner circle…family (both by blood and by choice). My parents raised me to believe I could do whatever I set my mind to as long as I was willing to invest the blood, sweat, and tears to make it happen and stay humble and grateful in the process. They have listened to all of my dreaming and never once told me I was being ridiculous. They may have thought it. Believe me, I have…as I think back on my aspirations to be a fighter pilot (I get motion sickness on Ferris wheels) or to be the first female Harlem Globetrotter (seriously, those uniforms). Not them. They would smile and continue to be my biggest fans.

 

My dad is incredibly healthy and living his best life. He rides his bike many miles every day. He still mows his own yard, shovels his own driveway. The man even painted his house this summer…all by himself. This involved getting on a ladder going up two stories to paint the 'M'…don't get me started. He's amazing and exactly the handful I hope to be when I am that age.

 

My mother on the other hand, while physically in great shape as well, has dementia. I will officially go on the record here stating this disease is cruel. It creeps up slowly, stealthily and subtly starts to steal your loved one right before your very eyes. At first, you don't notice. We all forget things. Where are my keys? Why did I walk into this room? Over time, you notice. You start keeping track. Replaying things to yourself. That just happened, right? Then you know it's happening. It's undeniable. As the disease continues to progress, the person you knew gets locked away somewhere and you don't get visitation rights.

 

I know that my mom, the one who knows my name, is still in there. While that version of my mom might not totally understand or be onboard with this gallery venture, I know she would be incredibly proud. It's important to me for her to see Gallery SG in person. For whatever reason, the vision that came to me was her writing "Jean was here" on the wall to document that she was indeed there. My first thought was it would be before the painters came in then they would paint over what she wrote and it would be gone. That wasn't okay. I didn't want it to be gone. So I started thinking about how it could be preserved. As I sat with that, a thought came to me where it was not only preserved, it was on display. A wall of frames…empty frames. And just like that, an idea was born.

 

As I started thinking about this frame wall, I envisioned a white wall with white empty frames covering the entire wall. The frames were different shapes and sizes. Some plain, some ornate. I wanted all of them to have had a life before they came to Gallery SG and, just like that, I became something I never thought I would become…a thrifter. Challenge accepted. I was on a mission and wanted to start right away. I found a vintage store that was still open yet that evening and got in the car to head to Vintage Oasis. When I got there, I wasn't really sure how to go about finding what I was looking for. I walked through the entire store…two levels, 14,000 square feet…twice. Then I found them. The first two frames. Both were empty…no glass, no backs. They were propped up against a dresser without price tags kind of like someone had set them down and forgot to come back for them. After a short negotiation on price, they were the inaugural members of Gallery SG's frame wall.

 

As the search progressed, I got more focused. My criteria got more specific. My standards got higher and my price point lower. It became an adventure. Friends and family joined in on the quest. We visited thrift stores, vintage stores, antique malls. We scoured Facebook marketplace. At a quick lunch catchup with a friend, he surprised me with a frame his grandfather had made with wood from an oak tree on their 100 year old farm. Another friend surprised with me an ornate oval Home Interiors frame that had been eluding me for weeks. Frames lined the walls of my front room. This thing was happening.

 

One day my dad and I were talking about the gallery. I explained my idea for the frame wall and told him about my growing stash of frames waiting for their next life. During a phone call a few days later, he asked me if we needed to get the frames painted white. Yes…yes, we do was my response. The next morning he showed up at the house in his paint clothes with white paint, a paint tray, small roller, multiple brushes, paper towels, and a plastic tarp. We were doing this. A couple hours and many conversation topics later, the entire floor of the unfinished space in my basement was covered with pretty much white frames. We went on to do another session to get those frames completely white and ready to assume their rightful place on the Gallery SG frame wall.

 

During this process, my original concept evolved as well. What started with "Jean was here" became my inner circle signing when we celebrate the official opening which became every artist that shows at the gallery will have a frame where they sign with their name and some sort of doodle to say there were there too. This wall is the physical manifestation of the masterpiece that is Gallery SG. My Very Important People who have been supportive every step of the way have shaped what Gallery SG is. Every exhibition will leave a mark. Every artist will change the gallery.

 

Here's the philosophical thing, the frame wall is symbolic. Life events leave their mark. The relationships we have with people change us. We are our own frame wall. Each frame is different. Each frame has its own story. Some stories have happy endings. Some were scary at times. There were painful stories. Sad stories. There's even stories we're not sure how they fit but, nonetheless, they happened. All of them come together to make the masterpiece of our lives. As I think about the frame wall that is my life, I don't know that I would have chosen all of those frames for myself. I do know that I am grateful for each and every one of them. And, yes…Jean was there too.

​