by Audra H. Anders for The Aha! Connection
You may not know this but my mom is a magnificent artist who creates beautiful paintings. I can’t draw a good stick person but I have an appreciation for beautiful art and love to roam galleries with my mother and her art friends. I was thrilled to hear about the Dunwoody Gallery pop-up a few months ago but was never able to attend any of the events. Fortunately the pop-up has emerged into a real deal forever gallery and the owner, Dawn Knauer Tresh, invited me to visit last week!
Dawn and I crossed paths many years ago when our boys played football together at Murphey Candler Park. They went to different schools and were in different grades so our paths diverged for nearly 15 years before we reconnected at Dawn’s beautiful Dunwoody Gallery. (Be sure to check out the p.s. for a fun fact about Dawn’s son, Jack)
Let me tell you a little bit about Dawn to connect the dots with her opening this gem of a gallery in the heart of Dunwoody. She earned her Bachelors in Fine Arts from The George Washington University AND a Masters of Education from New York University. Dawn, born and raised a New Yorker, moved to Atlanta in 1996 and worked as a teacher. Once she and her hubby had their two kids she became a “volunteeraholic”, managing everything from PTA annual funds to High Society Wine Auctions and contract event planning, plus non-profit work for several organizations including Cool Girls. All the while she has continued to create beautiful art of her own. The Dunwoody Gallery has a few of Dawn’s stunning floral-inspired collages on display. This current art outlet from Dawn stems from her love of beautiful images. During Covid she didn’t want to throw away any beautiful magazine images so she saved them and incorporates beautiful images from all sorts of things into her art. Aren’t they gorgeous?
Why create a gallery in Dunwoody? Dawn’s goal is to promote emerging artists and to bring people into Dunwoody that never would have visited otherwise. One example, she hosted a “Champagne Group” consisting of several women from Buckhead. One of the women loved what she saw in Dunwoody Village so much that she brought her husband back for dinner at Novo Cucina several days later and of course they loved Novo too!
Speaking of inviting groups in….she also hosted a mahjong group at the gallery one evening and set up 7-8 tables for approximately 30 people to play this oh-so-popular game. How fun to play surrounded by such beautiful art with the opportunity to procure a piece or two and take home with you!
Many, dare I say…MOST…artists name galleries after themselves. So I was curious as to why she chose “Dunwoody Gallery” for the name. She quite humbly told me that she truly wants it to be for everyone in the community including artists and admirers and it isn’t about just her or her art. She wants to share it with all of us!
Approximately nine local artists have their work on display at the gallery. It’s all so beautiful but I had to remind myself this Christy Holmes painting entitled “Take Me Home” is not in my current budget. But I covet it so badly! Please note: Dawn offered me a 10% discount and said anyone who comes into the gallery and mentions this article can also take advantage of the 10% AHA discount!!!
There’s so much beautiful art on display in the gallery but you can also view the artists’ paintings on the website. Purchase straight from the website or stop in and peruse the gallery. She plans to rotate the artists as paintings sell so that every time you visit you’ll see different works of art. Back to the website…it is really pretty amazing. Apparently Anne Irwin’s husband designed it for her Miami Circle gallery and now other galleries can take advantage of the ArtCloud platform.
The artists Dawn chooses to represent create what she considers “Elevated Fine Art”. Apparently, there’s a bit of a waiting list of artists wanting to showcase their creations at the Dunwoody Gallery. Dawn envisions stages and seasons for the gallery…summer florals, warmth and spice for fall, etc. The plan is to keep the works fresh but also maintain consistency.
She used an analogy that I love. Dawn says “art is like a song…You don’t always fall in love with a song when you hear it for the first time. But when you find a song you love…the more you listen to it, the more you like it and want to keep hearing it over and over. Your favorite songs stick with you and bring you back to listen. Just like art…when you find art you love, the more you look at it the more you want to see it and hang it where you can enjoy it each and every day.” I personally feel that “Take Me Home” painting whispering to me…”Take Me Home“…maybe I’ll bring Hubby into the gallery for a vote.
My mom is dying to meet Dawn and see the Dunwoody Gallery so I’m pinning her down to visit soon and then come back again in October for The Atlanta Art Fair. Dawn will be there working a Dunwoody Gallery booth. I’m so excited about this. Here’s how The Atlanta Art Fair is described on their site:
The inaugural edition of Atlanta Art Fair, a celebration of the dynamic arts community of Atlanta and the greater American South, will take place at Pullman Yards from October 3 – 6, 2024. The first global art fair for one of the fastest growing art markets in the United States, Atlanta Art Fair will run concurrently with Atlanta Art Week. Featuring local galleries, artists, and curators alongside a roster of leading regional and national programs and a dynamic series of public projects and events, Atlanta Art Fair aims to amplify local voices and act as a platform for the incredible creativity and connectivity inherent to its city.
As I type this, I’m realizing Mama may have to move in for the month of October! The Dunwoody Gallery is sponsoring the Dunwoody Woman’s Club Home Tour on October 9th and they are an official stop on the tour. My mom and my aunt LOVE to come for the annual home tour!
Let me leave you with a few final thoughts…
The Dunwoody Gallery is now open! They are located between Fresh Market and NFA Burger in the thriving metropolis of Dunwoody Village. Everyone is welcome…they showcase many levels of art at various price points. Go linger and shop. Plan to attend an event or give Dawn’s name to a talented local artist wanting to showcase! If you can’t find what you are looking for amongst the elevated level of art at Dunwoody Gallery, just talk to Dawn and she can help you curate what you are trying to find. She has connections and access to many local artists without representation and really loves connecting people with art they love.
Last but not least:
Remember the 10% discount on any Dunwoody Gallery art if you mention this article!
Follow Dunwoody Gallery on Instagram and Facebook for their weekly hours and events, then go see this lovely gem amidst all of the fabulous energy in Dunwoody Village! Here’s there hours for this week:
Dawn Tresh | Dunwoody Gallery
5496 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd
Dunwoody, GA 30338
(404) 915-5526
dawn@dunwoodygallery.com
Dunwoody Gallery Spotify Playlist
p.s. Dawn’s son, Jack, recently won $10,000 for making the half time court shot during an Atlanta Hawk’s Game. One of the players loved his winning shot so much he doubled the jackpot with $10,000 of his own. See the shot and more information here.
