Four Corners Gallery Celebrates 25 Years
Written by Charlene Gardner, Owner Four Corners Gallery
Four Corners Gallery has been in business since 1998. Owner Charlene Gardner reflects on the gallery’s 25 years in Bluffton:
I moved to the Lowcountry from a creative venture in Vail, Colorado. I learned through experience for 10 years perfecting my skills as a custom picture-framer and a local arts advocate.
As time passed, my desire to have a business of my own grew. Many people encouraged me, and I decided it was time for Four Corners Framing to be an entity.
My initial focus with Four Corners was specialty framing in home-design services, commercial services and gallery services. I would meet clients on site in their home to design and edit their needs.
The business was successful almost immediately — and it grew consistently. I went from using a friend’s garage to building a space onto my home, then moving into the retail space on May River Road in just seven years.
Four Corners was chosen to be the “John Stobart Gallery’s” primary framer for their Harbour Town Gallery. Our projects are unusual and include the oversized works other framers often do not have the experience to handle. Our jobs continue to be that today. I have cleaned, restored and mounted Buffalo Heads and framed both alligator and snake hides.
I took opportunities to reach out and meet local artists and search for unusual art forms as an arts solicitation chair for the Island School Council for the Arts which was formed in the early days of Hilton Head when the needs for schools to get support in providing funding and opportunities for the students and teachers in the arts was a necessity.
My volunteer work put me in a particularly good position to add creators to the May River Road space. I quickly realized that what Four Corners needed was a resident collection of local artisans who could show and sell their work through Four Corners Fine Art and Framing.
Four Corners expanded the square footage to double its ability to showcase artists and provide space to share their unique skills with neighbors and friends and patrons.
People enjoy life experiences: that is what curates memories and friendships.
Four Corners has been an avid promoter of arts in Bluffton both on the professional level and through the student eye.
Art is worthy of seeing and experiencing.
