Marietta Business Spotlight: The Loft
For January’s Marietta Business Spotlight, I was afforded the chance to chat with owner, Bonnie Reavis, and Gallery Director, Stokes O’Shields, of The Loft in downtown Marietta. Upon arrival, it is readily apparent that these women have curated a unique space to experience contemporary, fine art. Not only does The Loft offer a full gallery of varying works by artists from all over the country, but they also rent out their space for private events.
The Beginning
Bonnie’s passion for art is one that runs deep within her family. Her father, Frank Buckner, who is both co-owner and a gallery artist at The Loft, imbued in her a love for the arts. Utilizing her background in marketing, Bonnie opened her first event space in Marietta, The Brickyard, in 2010. In 2016, she opened gallery43 in Roswell but soon realized she wanted to move operations closer to home. Because of this desire and the Square’s vibrancy, Bonnie decided to make the move to start her new gallery in downtown Marietta in 2018. A few months prior to opening, Bonnie brought on Stokes, who has an extensive background in art history, public art, and performing arts, to assist in managing the gallery and its events. When talking to these two professionals, it is obvious that their balanced partnership and passion for what they do is the reason The Loft is thriving on the Marietta Square
Setting the Scene
Being a Marietta native and seeing the opportunity to bring a smaller event space to the Square, Bonnie snatched up her current space on the Square within 24 hours of it being on the market. This second-floor gallery, now a contemporary and open room that looks as if it were made for this exact purpose, was not always this way. Bonnie shared that their extensive renovations revealed that under the office-like drop ceilings and carpet, there was the original brick, spotlight lighting, and beams that we now see. They used these features to their advantage by mixing the historical and contemporary to create the light and open space that is now The Loft.
Why Marietta?
When asked why she chose Marietta, Bonnie said that from the business side, it was a no-brainer. She saw the downtown’s success and wanted to be a part of it. She also knew that her stable of artists and an event space would flourish in downtown Marietta. Both Bonnie and Stokes expressed their fondness for Marietta in saying that Marietta has an authenticity and cultural identity that simply cannot be replicated. All of the reasons why they chose Marietta have been validated as the community has been the perfect fit for them and The Loft.
Working with the City
Bonnie said that working with the City, specifically the Economic Development Division, made their renovation process much smoother. Because their renovations and move in were happening concurrently with a downtown beautification project, the new owners had their concerns. These concerns were, however, allayed by an attentive and flexible group of city staff that helped ensure that their project was completed on time.
In the Business of Experiences
When asked about the most rewarding aspect of operating The Loft, Bonnie pointed to the value of seeing people experience the art for the first time. When the same question was put to Stokes, she focused on the relationship building that occurs with both gallery and event patrons and also being a catalyst to promote talented artists.
In addition to showcasing a fluctuating collection of contemporary, fine art from both local and national artists and being an event space, The Loft offers intimate live music, talk to the artist nights, yoga classes, and non-profit fundraising events like Wine Down Wednesday. Needless to say, The Loft is a must-see destination. Give them a visit at 120 S. Park Square!