Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Perkins.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My husband and I moved to Nashville in ’94 for his music. In early spring of ’95, we met one of the gallery staff at a music-business dinner, and they introduced me to Bess Bennett and her son Bill, who ran the gallery together. They offered me an entry-level job here, and I thought it sounded like something I might enjoy, so I joined the team.
I had no idea that it would turn into a career or that I would grow so close to the Bennetts, who, over the years, became like family to us. It started off with me simply working as a dedicated employee for a long time, earning more responsibilities until I was eventually promoted to manager. Then, when Bess went to heaven, Bill decided that he was ready to sell, and it seemed like the natural thing for me to buy it and take over. So it has been under my ownership since 2018.
My story is one where, rather than setting out with a specific plan and vision, I just committed myself to doing my best to steward the opportunities that came my way, and God worked out all the details. That’s it in a nutshell!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Well, the biggest, strangest curveball was COVID, of course. But to be quite honest, even that turned out to have blessings in it. The store was closed for about seven weeks, which gave me a lot of precious time to connect more deeply with my husband and my son, who was in high school and learning how to drive. Since the roads were mostly empty, we did a lot of driver’s ed and formed some sweet memories in the midst of the difficulties of the season. It really was a time of making lemonade out of life’s lemons.
We also, thankfully, work with some of the top interior designers in Nashville, and they had clients who were still remodeling homes, so we held some private meetings for custom framing even while we were closed. We weren’t really sure what to expect when we reopened and had some worries about how things might change, but we ended up hitting the ground running and got back into the flow of business without trouble. Really, we have been very fortunate.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Since 1978, Bennett Galleries Nashville has been a consistent fixture in the arts and interior décor communities of the Nashville area. What sets us apart is that not only are we a top contemporary art gallery featuring the work of talented local artists alongside nationally recognized names, but our second floor also houses an expert custom framing shop. Our team members have many decades of combined experience and are the best of the best in framing. We are serious about excellence in what we do, but we also don’t take ourselves too seriously. That’s always been important to me, because I want to do away with the stuffy and pretentious stereotypes about the art world and make fine art and custom framing an accessible, fun, and lighthearted experience for everybody.
What I’m most proud of overall is that we’ve been trusted by locals for almost 50 years, and we now have families of clients that have been with us for multiple generations. Also, after all these years, it’s still a family-owned business. Bess and Bill started it, and when it was passed to me, it felt more like inheriting the legacy of my second family rather than making a business move.
What’s next?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’m excited about how Green Hills is developing and I look forward to the business that will bring to us, but I don’t want to make any big changes. We’ve really stayed true to the heart that Bess and Bill built the business with, and I want to keep that central as we continue to grow with the booming area around us. My goal is to keep it healthy, so that my son will be able to inherit it when the time comes.
Ultimately, I feel that glory should go to God all around. I’ve done nothing except show up to work every day and continue to do what I’ve been doing for 30 years here. I don’t really have any secrets to success. It’s just doing the best I can and trusting for the rest.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bennettgalleriesnashville.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bennettgalleriesnashville/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BennettGalleriesNashville
- Twitter: https://x.com/BennettGalleryN
