Mar 10, 2008

Gallery owner focuses on building businessBy Jennifer RichBradenton.com

Bradenton — Annie Russini loves to sit on her front lawn and greet people as they approach her shop in the Village of the Arts.

“I always come outside and invite people in,” she said, as she sat in front of her coral and periwinkle-colored bungalow. “They’ll stand there, stop and look and have a question mark on their face. I try to make them feel comfortable.”

Russini’s hoping her friendly approach will encourage strollers to drop in and see the recent renovations to the Village Veranda Gallery and Garden Apartments, a combination art gallery, gift shop and artist-in-residence.

The 1925 home, with its wide veranda and hardwood floors, has been renovated to open up more artist living and gallery space which is leased by the room or by wall space to local artists.

The colorful portraits of artist-in-residence Bill Jensen are now on display, a style Russini refers to as feminine mystique.

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