Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey Allen.
Hi Lacey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I had been a stay at home mom for 15 years, my daughter had just entered college and my son was starting to drive. I wanted to go back to work doing something meaningful that allowed me to channel my creative energy and help others.
Having always had a passion for art, it seemed meant to be when a friend of mine was ready to retire and sell her established custom framing shop.
I jumped at the opportunity and never looked back.
Having the privilege to be able to help people design, frame and truly bring to life the art that they’re passionate about is heartwarming each and every day.
After owning it for a year I decided to make the leap and add a gallery. I got the courage to ask my favorite artist and she said yes. We’ve grown from 1 artist to over 15 that we consistently work with. It has been a beautifully quaint gallery for my clients and a dream come true for me.
Wall to Wall has afforded me the opportunity to work with many amazing clients, our local school systems, businesses, and to complete projects that are shown in our local Smithsonian affiliated museums like Tellus, Savoy, and Booth Western. In addition to this I’ve been blessed to serve on the board of the Paradise Garden Foundation and complete many projects for Howard Finster’s World’s Folk Art Church Museum.
Although I feel I’ve just started, this wonderful journey has been filled with countless opportunities to contribute to the world of art more than I’ve ever imagined possible…. and I’m just getting started!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Buying an established business absolutely comes with its positives and negatives. The books were well kept and quality of work has never been a question so in that aspect I had zero issues. The opportunities with taking over an older, well ran business come more in the form of introducing change, establishing trust with longstanding clients, and being able to respectfully evolve the business to contribute to the art world in a more robust capacity.
Whether it was the cosmetic upgrades, the addition of the gallery, the artist talk nights or any of the other exciting evolutions, change had to be made slowly and respectfully, with a focus on building trust and strengthening relationships at the core of it all.
As you know, we’re big fans of Wall to Wall Gallery and Custom Framing. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our custom framing services offer over 500 framing samples and 1000 matting choices to choose from, along with many glass options up to 99% uv protectant. We specialize in producing quality frames for all sizes and types of art and everything we produce is built in house. Conservation framing is a specialty of ours and each piece whether the price tag is $10 or $10,000 will be treated with respect.
In addition to our framing services we offer large format printing up to 40” x 100” with choices of a matte, shiny, or canvas. Our large format printer offers 16 color cartridges and we use a program that allows us to change sizing and keep the pixels together for no distortion enlargements. Canvas printing is a specialty of ours. We build and wrap any size canvas art and photos so specialty sizes and mediums are welcomed.
Our gallery is proud to provide art from well established artists such as Faith Tatum and Kent Mullinax to newer artists like Sheena Yoe that we are so excited to introduce to the world. Our gallery introduces new art frequently and offers many fun events throughout the year like live paintings, artist receptions, and live music that create an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere for clients to connect with the art that most resonates with them.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My husband, Eric, has been my rock through it all. From the moment I mentioned the idea of taking on my own business he was immediately supportive and more than anything believed in me. His love, support and belief in my vision has been unwavering.
My daughter, Ariel, has been my right hand person from day one. Her natural talent at designing, passion for art, and business mindset made her a perfect fit. She has invested countless hours fine tuning her framing skills as well as running the gallery.
Last but certainly not least, my son, Lincoln, who’s still in high school. He has put so much of his energy into all aspects of the business and helps every chance he gets. Not only by running the store to allow for time off but by always bringing a smile and joy to the space.
It truly is a family business, that has been embraced and supported by the amazing community around us in a very special way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Walltowallga.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bg4VnV1vh/?mibextid=wwXIfr
