Come as You Are

A Studio Visit with Sharon Weiss

Words by Jaelani Turner-Williams / Photography by Ben Callahan & Megan Smith / Layout by Bryce Patterson

In 1994, the Short North was vastly different from the hip culture hub that Columbus residents know today. Visitors could park nearby without having to use an app. Upscale hotels and restaurants had yet to spring up in the area. But ‘94 would mark the same year that art collector Sharon Weiss would come to adore the Short North, which has housed the creative sanctuary of Sharon Weiss Gallery for nearly three decades.

“I came to the Short North with my significant other to go to dinner and saw a wonderful little retail space that I fell in love with,” Weiss tells (614) Refined. “One thing led to another, and I talked to the landlord and opened what was then Antiques and Art on Poplar [Avenue], and that just began this wonderful, exciting art career for me.”

Initially open only on weekends, the shop was the foundation for Weiss’ endeavors as an art collector becoming more serious. Several years later, the business would relocate to a small-scale retail space on Lincoln Street, take Weiss’ namesake, and become the place where Sharon Weiss Gallery has since resided.

“There were art galleries springing up, and I think what drew me to it was the charm of the buildings,” Weiss says about her admiration for the Short North. “The little store rooms up and down high and on the side streets are 900 square feet. If you come to the Short North even today, it is the epitome of small business.”

Gallery show featuring the work of Columbus based artist, Michael Guinane

Gallery show featuring the work of Columbus based artist, Michael Guinane

Scheduled to be showcased in the exhibition area of Sharon Weiss Gallery throughout May are works from painter Anita Dawson, her upcoming series titled ‘Histories and Mysteries.’ Despite the inquisitive theme, Weiss’ gallery is all-revealing. Weiss and her longtime partner, Roger Pettry, exhibit an art-centric space that allows Weiss to discuss her expansive collection at length.

I have a very small space, and my space is different than all of the galleries in Columbus. I have paintings all over the floor. I have them on the walls. They’re hanging salon-style from floor to ceiling everywhere,” Weiss says. “So it’s important for me to be able to say, ‘It may look overwhelming. There’s a lot of art here, but let me share with you what we have.’

Weiss, an art collector for almost 50 years, looks for art that captivates her, but mainly visual artists that are enthusiastic about their work, no matter how long their career has been. “The prerequisite for my gallery is that I love [their art], that I feel that it is something that I can share with other people that come in the gallery and tell them how wonderful it would be for that art to be in their homes,” Weiss says.

Sharon Weiss Gallery is part of a trilogy of Weiss’ adjoining businesses, Gallery II (formerly known as Found), and a neighboring women-only house composed of art studios. Of course, men are invited to visit the 24 East Lincoln Street location, but Weiss sought to ensure that women artists, currently Lisa Parks Godfrey, Amy Adams, Karen LaValley, and Tamar Rudavsky, have a safe space to create. “Because there are four women, and they’re still there today, we just decided that it seemed natural just to turn the little blue house into a home dedicated to our women artists,” Weiss explains. “It’s delightful, and we always make sure that men know they’re very, very welcome, but look around, and you will see all of these beautiful paintings done by just women.”

The third of Weiss’ endeavors, steps away from the gallery, is the newly-opened Gallery II on 12 Lincoln Street, which displays gifts, coffee table books, antiques, and children’s literature courtesy of Cover to Cover Children’s Books in Upper Arlington. Like Weiss’ proximate gallery, Gallery II also presents additional artwork, many of which become the topic of conversation for interested art enthusiasts.

Weiss’ enjoyment of art has only grown as the years have passed. Drawn to different styles, including abstract, the Columbus native shares that being open-minded has taught her about diversity. “Thank goodness artists are bringing me their art

that is different, and I’m always in awe of all the different styles and how good art makes you feel,” Weiss says. “The artists that I’ve met and continue to meet are filled with passion about what they do. Their passion just rubs off, and I am so, so grateful.”

With three businesses under her wing, Weiss looks forward to the next chapter of Sharon Weiss Gallery, although the journey has already begun, much like it did in ‘94. “I am fortunate that the business is still growing, and I love it today as I did years ago,” Weiss says. “It’s my life, and what a wonderful thing to be surrounded by art every day.”

Sharon and her partner, Roger Pettry

Sharon and her partner, Roger Pettry