Gallery 202 is a diverse art gallery located in downtown Franklin, in a dignified historic building.
They offer an array of artistic styles and mediums, with everything from paintings, to antiques, glass, jewelry, pottery and sculpture.
On the corner of Second Avenue and Church Street, the historic two-century-old red-brick Clouston Hall has been Gallery 202 since 2010. Kelly Harwood, the gallery owner and resident artist, teamed up with Ira Shivitz to buy the house and keep its spirit alive.
“Bunn Gray, who was a local artist, bought the house in 1964, which just happens to be the year I was born,” Harwood said. “He saved it from being torn down. I got to know him, and went there for parties and then he passed away.”
Harwood was passing by the house one day and saw that it was for sale. So, like Gray, he decided to buy the house, and continue it in the spirit of Gray and turn it into a gallery.
“I decided this was something I wanted to do with the rest of my life, to have a studio and possibly a gallery,” Harwood said. “So we opened it as 202 and sought out some artists to fill up the space.
Clouston Hall was always supposed to be a place for the finer things. Joseph Reiff designed The Federal Style home for Edward G. Clouston in 1821. Clouston never meant for the spacious high-ceilinged manse to be a house to live in, rather a place to entertain, and be entertained, in. It is believed at least three U.S. Presidents – Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson – enjoyed time there.
In the parlance of Harwood, Clouston Hall it was built for parties.
“And we like to say the party goes on,” he said.
The award-winning gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Saturday, and though Harwood hangs the occasional piece from legendary only-one-name-needed artists like Dali, Warhol and Picasso, the gallery’s true focus is local and regional artists.
The region has shown its appreciation. Gallery 202 won Best Gallery in the Sizzle Awards this year, and has been voted best local gallery four years in a row by Greater Nashville House and Home. The Tennessean voted them the 2nd best gallery in the region, also.
On the first Friday of each month, Gallery 202 participates in the Franklin Art Scene Gallery, featuring award-winning work by exhibiting a local artist.
On March 3, their featured artist was Tiffany Foss, see her work here.
“My primary painting desire is to attempt to capture God’s creation with the depth of colors and variety of light that we can only appreciate,” Foss said, “if one stops to pause and enjoy our surroundings.”
Stop in on April 7 for the next featured artist, Chris Smith. Smith,who works with found objects, blown glass in mixed media, is representative of the gallery’s focus on including various media– they carry everything from paintings to sculptures to mixed-media to blown glass.
On the Gallery 202 website, you can look through some of their current inventory or check them out on Facebook.
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