ECONOMICS & enterprise
ECONOMICS & enterprise Art Leaders Gallery: Leaders in the field BY DAN SHRINER Imagine going to work every day surrounded by beautiful paintings, sculptures, photographs and other fine art. For Bonnie Mansour and her husband, Jason, just being in their Art Leaders Gallery each day is a joy. And the fact that the gallery has been recognized as “Michigan’s Premier Art Gallery” in a newspaper poll and praised as one of the top galleries in the United States makes their daily work even more rewarding. “I look forward to getting up and coming in here every day,” Bonnie said. “Art makes you happy. It’s healing and it makes people happy to have comfortable surroundings.” The success of Art Leaders Gallery is largely due to Bonnie’s unique and intuitive ability to make art a personal experience for clients by carefully evaluating what would best suit their needs and tastes. She is able to view each piece with an artist’s eye and has been successful at gauging what her customers and designers will like. The couple opened the business in 1992 and were married the next year. They opened a gallery in Novi before moving to West Bloomfield in 1995, and to their current location, at 33030 Northwestern Highway in West Bloomfield, in 2000. Along the way they made time for a family and today are parents to Alec, 10, and Mary, 9. Filling a Niche At first, the business concentrated on selling only to corporations, but that soon changed. Today, Art Leaders Gallery brings art to both corporate clients and everyday homeowners. “Once I see the style of the home and learn about the clients I often know what they will enjoy,” Bonnie said. “Art is an investment in your home. It brings you pleasure and is a good investment. It’s important to educate our clients and advise them on what is good. The more you educate people, the more they will learn about and appreciate high-quality art.” Even in the early stages of their business, the Mansours recognized the need to have a large inventory of art so their customers could see how it looked in their home or business. They have always carried a large selection — including original paintings, sculpture, fine art glass, photographs — which they said is one of the secrets to their success. Besides selling artwork, the gallery offers custom framing work with master framers, which has become a substantial part of the business. Either Bonnie or gallery director Kelly Shampine are on hand to help advise customers on their purchases. The Mansour’s efforts to maintain their focus on providing high-quality art and personal service have paid off in a number of ways. Some top artists have provided works exclusively to Art Leaders Gallery. And several national exhibits, such as ones for Salvador Dali, Life Magazine, Dr. Seuss and Tim Cotterill (also known as Frogman), came to their gallery and maybe only one or two others in the country. “About 80 percent of our art is exclusive to us,” Bonnie said. “I didn’t realize how big we became and how we compared to others. I was told we were at the top of most lists of top galleries in the country. We didn’t know we were so talked about. It’s made us feel very good.” “We had become famous,” Jason added, “and we didn’t know it.” Learn more at www.artleaders.com. In the Beginning Bonnie graduated from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and admits she didn’t imagine herself owning a top gallery back then. She initially took a job selling art to corporations, but was often frustrated by the limited resources from the company for which she worked. At about that same time, Bonnie met Jason through a mutual friend. They were both born in Baghdad. Bonnie came to the United States 36 years ago, when she was 5 years old. Jason came here when he was 18, in 1980. After they began dating, Bonnie said Jason sensed her frustrations trying to sell art with limited resources and the couple decided to go into business together. “Jason has a strong business background and this seemed like something we should do,” she said. “We each have our areas of expertise and work well together.” Bonnie and Jason Mansour Bridal Events February 3–5 Vera Wang bridal gown trunk shows February 17–19 Romona Keveza trunk shows Romona Keveza personal appearance February 18 February 18 Beyond the Aisle, Marshall Field’s Ultimate Bridal Experience Please call 1•800•2•I DO•I DO to RSVP, February 24–26 Reem Acra bridal gown trunk shows ©2006 Marshall Field’s Marshall Field’s Bridal Salon at Somerset To schedule an appointment, please call 248-816-4270. fields.com ® /bridalsalon 32 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2006
FEBRUARY 2006 CHALDEAN NEWS 33
