by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
Donald Thomas and Jerome Davis are downtown pioneers.
Owners of Fine Art & Framing by D&J on Laura Street near Hemming Plaza, they opened their first local shop in a 200 square-foot facility on the Westside. Later, they moved to Arlington for five years. When downtown revitalization caught their attention, they relocated once again.
“We noticed downtown was going through some changes and businesses were starting to come here and the City was putting money in downtown,” said Davis.
“We may be pioneers but it will pay off later,” said Thomas. “With the Super Bowl coming, we wanted to be here while the rent is still at a good rate. We knew it would be kind of tough coming down here right now but that it would pay off with residents coming down here. They’ve got to have somewhere to shop.”
Since their arrival, D&J’s has experienced a slow, steady growth. From their estimates, new business totals about 80 percent of their clientele. Most purchases originate from either those who work or have business downtown. Women outnumber male customers.
“The male clientele has increased this year,” said Thomas. “A lot of our customers are from City Hall, the Greenleaf Building or Humana, mostly people walking downtown.”
Which makes sense because the partners do not use conventional advertising, relying instead on flyers, promotions or word-of-mouth referrals.
In the future they are planning to use billboards, print mediums and an affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce to generate business. The Chamber plans to host a grand opening for the business where gift certificates for art or frame work will be distributed
When voters approved the Better Jacksonville Plan, D&J was forced to move yet again, this time to make way for the new downtown library. But as it turns out, the move was a good one.
“The City bought the area and helped us with the transition,” said Thomas.
“It turned out for the better,” said Davis.
The move was a short one; their current location is less than a block away from where they originally settled downtown just over a year ago. And the new space is about twice the size of the old location.
Thomas and Davis, who are Dallas natives, have been friends and business partners since they met in the Navy. They first ventured into the business world selling inexpensive items such as T-shirts and pepper spray. Soon, they discovered a mutual love of art and the cornerstone of their future enterprise was in place.
“We went to the Sanford [Florida] Flea Market,” recalled Thomas. “We ran across this Egyptian print, bought the pieces and put them out unframed. People bought them like crazy.”
D&J’s offers a variety of styles from contemporary to traditional, including landscapes, sculptures and African-American art.
“We deal with artists globally,” said Thomas. “We have artists from Germany, Japan, Canada, all over and of course, the United States. We go to festivals and art shows where artists congregate and cherry pick.”
“We show a lot of local, emerging artists,” said Davis. “We try to go beneath the surface rather than just staying with the top artists in the country.”
Prices range from $100 and up. Economical prints are also available.
Overcoming negative perceptions of downtown proved to be a minor obstacle.
“It was getting people to come back downtown and let them know there is more downtown than the Landing,” said Thomas.
“There were times when our accounts receivable was like, whoa,” recalls Davis. “But we’re great salespeople and art sells itself. Couple those, and it is not hard to survive.”
Shadowboxes, float mounting or border-less hinges where the frame is not touching the artwork are their trademark. Commercial and residential consultations, similar to interior decorating, is also available to assist clients with the color-matching process. Home shows and hanging artwork are other services they offer.
D&J hung 33 black and white pieces for The University Club and has helped decorate local television stations and churches.
Upcoming projects include the Ritz Theatre and the new downtown library.
Thomas and Davis also hope to register with the City as a vendor for the Art in Public Places program. Poetry readings may also become part of their regular repertoire. And each month the shop hosts artwork from local and national artists.
“Downtown can be a nice arts district,” said Davis. “There’s the Florida Theatre and the T-U Center in the area.”
“We want to bring culture here, educate on art and share our vision,” said Thomas. “Jacksonville needs to get back to the arts because it’s a beautiful thing and you can keep it for a lifetime.”