 photo by steed media service
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Owners, Gallery Guichard
Andre
and Frances Guichard might be Chicago’s happiest couple, but they’re
also two of the city’s hardest working entrepreneurs. As artists,
collectors and administrators of Gallery Guichard, the husband and wife
team have created one of the premier urban art houses in the Windy City
while using their success to bring forth change in their community.
Whether it’s their collection of art from the African Diaspora or their
social networking events, everyone is taking notice of Guichard. “The
education, the social networking, the beautiful artwork that emanates
from the window when people drive by – I just think it’s the energy of
our events that people seem to be embracing the artwork and the artists
in our community,” Frances says.
Gallery Guichard was recently honored by the Chicago Urban League’s
nextONE program as an up-and-coming small business of promise and
community resource. “In this economy the new emphasis is to become an
entrepreneur, and for us to really to be activists and to be about
that, we have to walk the walk,” Andre says.
Nothing has made this power couple happier than walking the walk and
both agree that they’re proud to be in it together. “The opportunity to
work with my husband, Andre, has [been] great,” Frances admits. “I feel
like we’re making a difference in the community. [Our work] is making a
difference in our lives and makes me motivated to get up every
morning.”
For more info, visit www.galleryguichard.com.
–gavin philip godfrey
For more information, please visit www.cbww.org.
