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In
1989, Arlene was busy juggling a demanding career along
with the equally rigorous task of raising two young
children.
 Shortly after graduating from the University
of South Carolina in 1975 with a degree in journalism,
she took a position in advertising. While studying at
USC, Arlene met and later wed, Lenny Dolin, her husband
now of thirtytwo years. Children, Miriam and Adam
followed, along with the desire to have more time with
her family. Her husband was working as a shopping mall
manager and his position required him to transfer from
location to location, thus uprooting the family every
few years or so. While both she and her husband had good
jobs, neither offered Arlene what she wanted most:
flexibility. Then, an opportunity to have just that
presented itself.
While Arlene was originally from Beaufort, SC, her
husband had been raised here in Greensboro where his
family had owned and managed The Art Shop since 1964.
Frequent visits to the area had already given Arlene the
feeling that this would be a good place to raise
children. However, her husband hadn’t really envisioned
taking over the family business until he received a
particular phone call.
The
Art Shop was up for sale, and his father wanted to give
them the opportunity to take ownership. To anyone
looking in, it seemed like quite a gamble. Neither
Arlene nor her husband had much experience working in
the art industry. On the other hand, becoming small
business owners meant that she and her husband might
have more flexibility to spend time with their children.
Of course, it also meant that they would be leaving
behind their “stable” jobs. As they prepared to move to
Greensboro, Arlene began to realize that she and her
husband had never worked together. This raised a whole
new set of concerns that, luckily, proved to be
unwarranted. Today, when asked about the person that
most inspired her professionally, Arlene said, “My
husband.”
 She
attributes their success to the fact that they both
brought different skills to the business. Her thirteen
years in advertising and marketing combined with her
husband’s experiences in management and retail
environments created a sturdy foundation for The Art
Shop. She admits that it was refreshing to finally be
able to do ads for her own business. Her years in the
corporate world also taught her the importance of having
a well-qualified and reliable staff made up of people
with strong skills. Today those people include: Andy
McAfee, Gallery Director; Jaqui Reilly & Janelle Di
Lizio, Design Consultants; Becki Ruh, Corporate Sales;
Melissa Smith, Office Manager; Jini Lumsden, Master
Certified Picture Framer; and Chris Taylor & Dale
Briggs, Framers. Smiling, Arlene also points out that
she and her husband keep separate offices at the
gallery.
Since 1989, under Arlene and Lenny’s ownership, The Art
Shop has continued to grow and to receive national
recognition. Décor Magazine has chosen them as Top
Gallery for Retail Excellence for five straight years.
It has evolved into a national operation and they enjoy
helping clients from all over the country. In regards to
running a business, Arlene says “Nobody can do it all;
you’re going to need help.” Her advice to any aspiring
entrepreneur is to have a strong support group. “Hire
people that are strong in areas where you may be weak,
and most importantly, don’t be afraid to say that you
don’t know something.”
The
move to Greensboro did give Arlene the opportunity to
spend more time with her children. She was finally able
to attend school related programs and to take a more
active role in her son and daughter’s education.
Daughter Miriam, now 25, lives in New York City where
she has a career in Fundraising & Development. Son,
Adam, 20 presently attends the Savannah College of Art
and Design where he is majoring in sound design. Today,
she and her husband are “empty nesters” and Arlene
admits that she has had to make changes to adjust. As a
result she has been able to pick up a few hobbies
including tennis. Both she and her husband are big
tennis fans and they hope to go see the Australian Open
in the not too distant future. Even though she is
surrounded by gorgeous paintings of Italian, Spanish and
French landscapes and villages, Arlene has not been to
any of these countries. Traveling is definitely on her
“To Do” list.
In
her spare time she enjoys reading and says that if she
were not a gallery owner, then she would be a novelist.
She also likes to entertain and to cook when, she says,
“she doesn’t have to.” Like many working mothers, Arlene
perfected the art of weeknight cooking with her
trademark, “Couch Cushion Casserole”; a kind of
casserole made up of whatever ingredients she had on
hand.
For
now, Arlene continues to dedicate a good part of her
time to the gallery and to her family. She still likes
the fact that the shop gives her the ability to meet new
people and to introduce them to the art that she has
come to love. |
by
Alice Garcia photos: Tim Talley
