LA- _ STUDIO 330 • Fine china, fine crystal and interesting gifts • 20% off most of your favorite brands • Free gift wrapping Mon.-Sat. 10-6 ; Thurs 8 Bloomfield Plaza • 6566 Telegraph Road at Maple • Bloomfield Hills 851-5533 . POTTERY ♦ PAINTINGS ♦ JEWELRY ♦ FURNITURE UNIQUE ACCESSORIES FOR THE HOME "N MESA ARTS GALLERY COLLECTION 32800 FRANKLIN ROAD ♦ FRANKLIN, MI 48025 TUESDAY - FRIDAY 10 A.M. - 5 P.M. SATURDAY: 11 A.M. - 5 P.M. (810) 851-9949 109 N. Center Downtown Northville (810) 349-4131 Happy House Furniture Robert and Tammy Crenshaw 94 A furrier extends his business, right next door, to include a European art collection. FRANK PROVENZANO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS • Computerized bridal registry 41 Opening The Door To Art HOURS: M-TH 10-6, FRI. 10-7, SAT. 10-5, SUN. 12-4 I t's one month away from the debut of his new gallery, Eu- ropa, yet co-owner Arthur Bricker sits back and relaxes in his business office. It's as though it's a "done deal" — which, in many ways, it is. Typically, when a new busi- ness venture is being considered, most of the work is done leading up to making the decision. Think of the idea for Europa Art Gallery as having undergone a three-decade incubation. After 30 years collecting art, traveling the back roads of Eu- rope looking for cubist paintings or a hard-to-find early 20th-cen- tury classic, Mr. Bricker has had a long time to think about his lat- est venture. And in about 30 days, when the gallery opens its doors and hangs its first oil paint- ing, that will be the easy part. Or so he says. Until then, all that remains are a few logistical arrangements, like painting the walls, finding a place for the reception desk and installing the lighting. The in- ventory already is complete, al- though plans to hang the show have yet to be discussed. Obvi- ously, there are more immediate concerns. "We're going to show art that people can live with," said Mr. Bricker, referring to the gallery's intent to exhibit original oils, lim- ited rare lithographs, pastel drawings and sculpture from pri- marily 20th-century European artists. Last week, a swinging door was installed that will allow cus- tomers going to Mr. Bricker's fur business to enter the adjoining gallery, located in West Bloom- field in the Orchard Mall. The "swinging door" is not only an ap- propriate metaphor, but in Mr. Bricker's thinking, it's the right first step. Actually, in one single step, customers to Bricker-Tunis Furs will be able to see immediately how Mr. Bricker and his partner, John Tunis, have diversified their fur business to include European fine art. "It's not like an oil painting and a fur are competitive items," Mr. Bricker said. "We have discern- ing customers who are interest- ed in both." If all goes according to plans, Europa Art Gallery will blend en- trepreneurial boldness with love of art "you can live with," Mr. Bricker said. "Our concept is different than the normal gallery," he said. "We won't live and die with one idea. We'll do a lot of different media and change frequently." At the gallery, however, one idea takes precedence. Europa will be operated in accordance with business, not aesthetic, prin- ciples. That means making sure the gallery changes with con- sumers' taste. And that's an area Mr. Bricker believes is no differ- ent than running a successful fur business. In the last two decades, the fur er share more than a business. Their lives have traveled similar paths. Both are third-generation fur- riers of immigrant grandparents. Mr. Bricker's father came from Russia, while Mr. Tunis' father immigrated from Greece to New York City, where he worked as a designer in the fur industry. Like most decisions over the last eight decades, the new di- rection for Bricker-Tunis evolved. Actually, the idea started off Arthur Bricker, artist Yuri Gorbachev and Suzy Bricker at the new gallery: A "swinging door" philosophy. industry has undergone profound changes, and furriers had to mod- ify the way they conducted busi- ness, Mr. Tunis said. "Through the '90s, the key thing is to use your square footage to generate as much revenue as possible," he said. To keep up with consumers' demands, Bricker-Tunis aggres- sively advertised their ever- changing line of merchandise. That type of marketing approach will eventually be applied to drawing customers to the gallery. Of course, Mr. Tunis quickly pointed out, any changes in Bricker-Tunis Furs were mea- sured by references to their 80- year family tradition as furriers. In fact, Mr. Tunis and Mr. Brick- rather simple. A few paintings were displayed around the store. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bricker began an informal survey of cus- tomers. He asked them if they would visit a gallery if it were next door, and if it would change their impression of Bricker-Tu- nis. "We're showing an ability to change with the times," said Suzy Bricker, Europa Art Gallery di- rector. "Art enhances the busi- ness just like it enhances people's lives. Establishing an art gallery is a hopeful gesture to get people to live positively again." Mr. Bricker and his wife, Suzy, are planning a trip to New York City prior to the opening of Eu- ropa. They will meet with inter-