Timeless Treasures Shimmer at Aladdin’s Art Gallery
Art From the Attic Sale Continues Through March 16
Lora Parsons
The Ashland Beacon
When our oldest daughter was born, so was a family tradition that would carry on for the grandchildren of my dad, JD Thompson. Each birthday and Christmas, he purchased a Matyroshka--a Russian nesting doll--from Aladdin’s Art Gallery in Ashland for each of them. Always in search of a unique, just perfect gift, he knew this was a collection that they could add to and love for many years. Some years, the dolls were barely more than an inch high with the smallest piece at the very center being not much bigger than a grain of rice. Some years, they were gigantic sets with as many as 20 pieces inside, feeling like the nesting might never end. And, then there were years that the nesting dolls took on many different forms--a spaceship, a three-headed dragon, a Beatles “Yellow Submarine,” complete with sea animals inside. The variety and uniqueness of each set captivated the kids and wowed the adults as we all intently watched to see just what would come out of the layer next.
A walk through the store from which they came provides shoppers with a similar experience--layer after layer of unique finds, new items catching the eye with each step forward. Tree of life danglers, leather-bound journals, crystal lamps, wooden puzzle boxes, beautifully-designed kitchen gadgets, flying mobiles, intricate gift cards, an array of artsy accessories like socks, gloves, earrings, purses--the layers seem to have no end. And, of course, one can’t forget the framed and unframed artwork that bejewels the walls of what some customers describe as “their happy place” for obvious reasons. Anyone who has been inside knows the treasure trove that this Ashland icon is overflowing with. And, owner, Mary Johnson, names her customers’ emotional reactions when they walk through the store as one of her greatest pleasures at Aladdin’s.
Started in 1965 by her parents, Joe and Jackie Mock, Aladdin’s has been in the Ashland community for almost 60 years. Remarkably, it has always been located on the corner of 13th Street and Lexington Avenue. Johnson shared of her parents: “Dad and mom didn’t believe in a sale.” Over time, the attic became the storage place of items that hadn’t sold, and they gathered there for many years. Johnson’s mother passed away in 1997, and her dad in 2009, leaving to her not only the store but also an attic full of unpaired treasures. Prints that weren’t yet framed called to her for a home, and frames that weren’t yet holding a print called for one to embrace. From these pieces that were not yet fulfilling their potential, was born the Art from the Attic framed print sale. Nestled in at the beginning of the year, following the Christmas gift rush, and paving the way for putting out new merchandise, the annual sale allows Johnson an opportunity to “Give old prints and often old frames new life.” Her eye for pairing what some might simply see as straggling pieces that didn’t sell results in the creation of brand new masterpieces. What had previously been tucked away for safe-keeping re-emerges wearing a shiny new frame with a new lower price tag. Not only does the art get a second chance at finding an owner, but those new to the art world or with smaller budgets also have a second chance at owning high-quality, affordable art. But, the pieces available in the sale should by no means be considered “less than.” Many are, just like their full-priced counterparts: Limited Editions, signed by the artists themselves.
The “Roadrunner” print, for example, pictured here with Johnson, had been in the store for 50 years when she pulled it from the attic. It caught her eye because of the deep mustard shade in it. She knew it would match perfectly with some pieces of a frame from a previous project. Trimming the print to fit the frame simply made for a perfect union, and both caught the eye of a customer the afternoon that this photo was snapped. A piece of art 50 years in the making was purchased, and the new owner loved the piece all the more because of the sense of history that came with it.
If adding or starting an art collection is on the to-do list, the Art from the Attic framed print sale will continue until March 16, so experienced or up-and-coming art connoisseurs still have time to visit the store and see what masterpieces await them. Even greater markdowns occur during the final stages of the sale, and layaway is an option for payment, both of these making true works of art accessible to anyone wishing to make framed prints part of their daily life. While framed prints are what the annual sale features, that isn’t by any stretch of the imagination all that Aladdin’s has to offer. The variety of art available to purchase means there’s something there for every taste, every age, and every walk of life. As my dad found with the nesting dolls he started purchasing when our kids were infants, art has a way of being timeless, with these gifts still being ones they look forward to even though they’re now in college. He may not have found a way to stop time from passing, but, each time they open a nesting doll, time does in a sense stand still, transporting us all back in time to the many years we’ve sat together around these pieces of art. Art is much more than the elements used to create it--so much more than the sum of its parts. And, Aladdin’s has been planting a kind of beauty in our community for many years now that simply can’t be found anywhere else.
To stay up-to-date on what is happening at Aladdin’s (and to view the social media special pricing on the Art from the Attic framed prints sale), follow them on Facebook at “Aladdin’s Art Gallery.”