Business & Tech

Teal Gallery & Events Mixes Art, Entertainment

The new art gallery opened last November on Oak Street.

Relatively new to the Roswell arts scene, on Oak Street is converging art and stylish entertaining in a way that is sublime and completely unique to the area.

The gallery, once an easy-to-overlook working garage, is now whitewashed and glittering with the works of today's top Low Country and metro area artists.

Vistors stopping by during regular business hours are greeted enthusiastically by Owners Jackie Leontis and her sister Judy Aube, who are eager to share their love of art with locals.

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"We love it and I think we have an eye for it," said Leontis.

The sisters opened their renovated gallery last November, just after the city spent $1.4 million working to add some polish to the Oak Street streetscape. With a background in education and real estate, the pair have spent years working and vacationing together. In fact, the idea for opening their own gallery germinated while browsing the galleries of Hilton Head and Charleston. Leontis and Aube realized the local area had a void and they aimed to fill it with the work of popular Low Country artists whom they had fallen in love with on trips to South Carolina over the years.

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The paintings that fill the gallery walls have pricepoints from just under $100 to over $1,000, by design. Leontis said it was a purposeful goal of the gallery to provide quality art at attainable prices.

"We want people to be able to afford amazing art," she said.

Still, with a thriving art scene locally, the women wanted to stand out in some way. They found it when they realized the potential the open layout of their space had - something that's a rarity in the historic district. They decided to make the business a two-fold venture: an art gallery and events facility.

"It's perfect for hosting a party," said Leontis, who envisions everything from rehearsal dinners and business socal gatherings to benefits and personal entertaining in the space. "And it's different because there's an element of movement and conversation to it. It's hard to be social when the only people you talk to all night are the ones seated directly around you."

The possibilities for how to set the space during an event are seemingly endless. Guests can wander, lounge areas can be installed or there is even space for a bar and a few tables set up in the traditional style. A small staging and kitchen area is located at the rear of the gallery, where caterers and bartenders can prep. Or, a food truck can pull up to the front of the building where a large glass garage door can be rolled up, extending the space and providing food to party-goers.

It all depends on what organizers prefer.

Just to show how diverse the space really is, Leontis said the gallery will soon host a high school graduation party for students in a local art program.

"Really, how great will that be? For these kids to celebrate their own accomplishments in an environment that speaks to them personally! It's going to be so much fun," she gushed.


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