Hollie Blanchard. Photos: Chris Emeott
Hollie Blanchard helps clients visually express their décor and personal narratives.
Attributing a positive outcome to being in the right place at the right time can feel a touch trite, a bit clichéd, but when Hollie Blanchard tells the story of how her business, Art Girls, came to open in Deephaven at the end of last year, her words hit the mark—bullseye.
“To be opening my first studio in Deephaven is so very surreal and yet feels so right,” Blanchard says. “I was at a place where I was ready to take the leap into finding an office outside of my home.”
After seeing a For Lease sign in a window at Deephaven Court business center, Blanchard had a moment of clarity. “[Deephaven] has been my community since 2009, moving back home from [New York City],” she says. “My children attend school in the neighborhood. I travel these roads for errands, activities and client appointments. It was a moment which felt crystal clear—this is where I need to be; this is the next chapter for Art Girls.”
December 12 was the official grand reopening of Art Girls. The Deephaven location is a working office and a space to gather with clients and serves as a walk-in venue for clients acquiring original artwork. “We like to say we are a fine art concierge from A to Z,” Blanchard says of her business, which originally launched in 2019 when she took her first leap of faith, holding onto her belief that art should be viewed in not just art galleries, but in homes and businesses.
“I am telling you, something special is happening at Deephaven Court with a community of so many wonderful woman entrepreneurs,” Hollie Blanchard says. “I feel privileged to be among the amazing small businesses in this vicinity.”
And that A to Z reference? Some of those letters go along with art rentals, artwork rehoming, client consultation (in person or remote), cataloging and commercial management, custom framing, white glove installation and whatever clients require to ensure their art is purposely and exquisitely purchased, installed and maintained.
Art Girls boasts more than 3,000 pieces of inventory. “We have strong representation of local artists with an array of impressionistic, traditional, abstract, classical realism, collage, sculpture [and] ceramic, and a bespoke collection filled with treasures of days gone by,” Blanchard says. “Our platform features a diverse range of original artworks from emerging and established artists. Whatever the design aesthetic, we have pieces to complement and enhance it.”
If clients can’t find pieces that illustrate their design sensibilities or aesthetic preferences, Art Girls offers commission options, allowing clients to work closely with artists to create bespoke artworks.
For Blanchard, business is personal, and she speaks of the joy she experiences when connecting with clients through art. “Art connects people as you learn about their story—the connection they have to an abstract or objective piece and feel their joy once the art is installed,” she says. “That is why I do this. It is infectious, and to help someone find joy through art, it is such a gift to me and them.”
For nearly three years, Terri M. has purchased many abstract, human portraiture or animal pieces from Art Girls and had framing done for black and white photographs of her sons, “… the priceless pieces of my art,” she says.
“My home truly is my haven. It’s my special place that grounds me in love, peace and gratitude,” says the Shorewood resident. “I have always created my spaces—whether it be my bedroom when I was little, my office when I was an executive or my home—to reflect who I am and what I feel. So, while I consider furniture, lighting, etc., to be décor style, I believe that my art represents a much deeper connection. Each piece may represent different periods of my life, my evolving roles, my values, my aspirations, memories and, most of all, love.”
To Terri’s point, art is flexible by nature and can do more for a home beyond punctuate its aesthetics. “Anything can be home décor, but original art is deeper. It adds life; it is emotional … The emotions that the artist are pouring into the canvas or clay, you can feel this,” Blanchard says. “It adds curiosity to the viewer, which often engages into a rich conversation on your personal narration for the pieces in your collection.”
Art Girls has its artistic stamp on not only private residences, but also commercial real estate venues, law firms, private offices, the W Minneapolis–The Foshay, Minneapolis and more. Photos: Art Girls
How are clients telling their stories through art? “In a world full of mass production, I see consumers wanting a more intimate [and] personal connection to their space, and original artwork is the key,” Blanchard says. “It is a stamp of our zeitgeist; our collection is a journey of life we have traveled … where we were, what we were feeling, a narration of you.”
Blanchard’s perspective resonates with Terri, who first connected with her through social media, inquiring about a painting of an elephant protecting her calf. “It evoked so much in me as a mom, as my sons had just lost their dad,” she says. “It was a very emotional time, and my focus was 100 percent on protecting and guiding my sons through this journey.” Blanchard brought the piece to her home, “… so I could not only see it, but really feel it,” Terri says. “I was drawn so strongly with the piece. It reflected exactly how my heart and soul were feeling at that time.”
From then on, their client-owner relationship developed. “[Blanchard] knew and could almost anticipate other pieces that would connect with me,” Terri says. “There is something so special about [Blanchard] bringing the art to my home versus purchasing [it] in a gallery. It’s personal; it’s now in my space, and I know right away if it reflects a part of my story. As I add art, I love to share what the piece means to me with my sons. I want them to know, [that] after I am gone, that my collection told our family story and that my love for them is at the core.”
The Inspiration
The love of art germinates and is fortified to grow through inspiration of all sorts. Hollie Blanchard fed her love of art through various arteries of education, family and life experiences.
“Growing up, I was intrigued by beautiful artistry and viscerally pulled in by so many different tangible displays (beautiful stationary, fashion, interior décor, artwork, floral arrangements, Dayton’s downtown, my grandmother’s costume jewelry and decorating the tree for Christmas),” she says. “I had two amazing art teachers who were inspirational, and [I] realized early that art was essentially expressing into words your thoughts, ideas and feelings.”
Blanchard first focused on fashion, “… sketching, stylizing, draping, creating, constructing new looks … In fashion, you get to be the artist with a blank canvas each day,” she says. With a degree in apparel design from the University of Minnesota, she headed to New York City and worked for a celebrity stylist and later in the jewelry industry. With the city as her backdrop, Blanchard spent many hours combing the city’s flea markets and museums for a chance to interface with art through different avenues.
As it can, love brought her back home to the Lake Minnetonka area, where she lives with her husband, Chris Blanchard, and their children and where she also lives to share her love of art with whoever steps into Art Girls.
Art Girls
18285 Minnetonka Blvd. Suite F, Deephaven; 612.772.2855
Facebook: Art Girls Minneapolis
Instagram: @artgirls_mpls
