Debbie Chase van der Bol has survived many milestones in her life – some unpleasant. But she is a survivor, even making it successfully through Hurricane Ivan. Today, though, she’s ready to put Pure Art on the sale block. In the following two stories she spoke to Cayman Free Press Editor Tammie C. Chisholm about the business and surviving.
For sale: One Pure Art Gallery.
Asking price: Read the professionally prepared business report.
Debbie Chase van der Bol is ready to untie the strings of her retailer’s apron and pass it on to another passionate lover of Cayman and regional art.
Once the business is sold, her plans are to pick back up her painter’s smock and commit herself to her first love – painting.
‘It’s time for me just to paint more,’ Ms Chase van der Bol said. ‘It’s weird to say that business is so good it’s time to sell.’
She’s having a proper business report prepared so that any potential serious buyers will know just what they’re getting in to.
Pure Art Gallery and Gifts sits on the corner of South Church Street and Denham Thompson Way. It’s nestled in a more than 100-years-old traditional Cayman style house, which Sandra van der Bol owns. The business is on a long term lease to remain in the house.
When Ms Chase van der Bol opened the gallery she had a handful of painters who commissioned their works through her. More than 18 years later the business has grown into a top gallery and gift shop.
‘Our focus is still on local painters,’ she said. ‘We have over 200 craft people.’
The business is professionally run with the assistance of top-notch computer programming.
With a quick glance at the computer Ms Chase van der Bol informs that in just one week she checked in 11 new paintings.
‘They’re not little studies; they’re good paintings,’ she said.
Like the paintings, new goodies arrive at the gallery daily.
Walking in to the old house that holds Pure Art together is like walking into a magical shop.
It looks cluttered at first, but further examination shows beautiful, colourful, organized chaos.
In the front room to the right of the door customers can find paintings, sculptures and Christmas ornaments – lots and lots of Christmas ornaments.
There’s a Santa made from a star fish, angels made from seashells and hand painted glass balls. They adorn a miniature Christmas tree and hang from shelves, other displays, the walls and ceilings.
Another room offers hundreds of paintings and prints that depict Cayman scenes – above and below water. Baby clothes can be found there as well as toys. The bathroom has a two-fold purpose; it’s a place of relief for customers and staff and it’s where buyers will find marked down bargains for sale.
The hallway is adorned with magnificent paintings from a variety of local artists, as well as knick-knacks.
Down the hall colourful flags, sculptures and more paintings are strategically placed.
The outer area holds thatch and stitch work as well as china and, of course more paintings. Pure Art is, after all, an art gallery.
Look for the signatures of the likes of Joanne Sibley and Charles Long, as well as Chase van der Bol’s.
She hopes the new business owners will accept her art on consignment, too.
It’s hard to believe, roaming through the quaint gallery that the place is run as efficiently as it is.
‘We are completely modernized. The computer system makes it as efficient as any modern art gallery.’
A particularly useful customer service is that she keeps a list of where each painting goes when it’s sold.
If any of the artists hanging at Pure Art ever get to the point of such fame that they need to find their old paintings to buy or exhibit, they’ll know where to look.
Behind the scenes, the gallery works with area business and industry to provide paintings and maps for reception and lobby areas.
Paintings that have been through the halls of Pure Art gallery now hang on the walls of heads of states and have been exhibited internationally at well known galleries.
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