Aimee Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery is a Decatur Gem
There’s a charming gallery in Decatur you don’t want to miss. Aimee Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery is a jewel box of a shop.
Chana Shapiro is an educator, writer, editor and illustrator whose work has appeared in journals, newspapers and magazines. She is a regular contributor to the AJT.
There’s a charming gallery in Decatur you don’t want to miss. Aimee Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery is a jewel box of a shop, reminiscent of New York or European boutiques, featuring original fine art and one-of-a kind jewelry.
The owner, Amy Elfersy, combines style with warmth, reminding a visitor of the legendary women who ran soirees in their comfortable salons. And that’s part of the charm of the boutique. Every few weeks, the place presents performances by musicians, artists and poets.
On March 19, to celebrate the festival of Purim and to welcome spring, the gallery opened an exhibit of five well-known women artists: Barbara Fisher, Lynette Joel, Miriam Karp, Shoshana Rosenthal and Daniella Willett-Rabin. Catered by The Spicy Peach, the event brought together a cross-section of Jewish and non-Jewish Atlanta to socialize, enjoy and purchase the multi-genre art and exquisite jewelry. The exhibition runs through May 26, coinciding with the Decatur Arts Festival.
Aimee gallery is the result of a series of serendipitous events.
Several years ago, Elfersy and her husband, Jacques, were in New York visiting her parents. They were dining in posh Locust Valley on Long Island, where Amy noticed a “For Rent” sign on a popular shop. She turned to her husband and suggested, “Open a boutique in Atlanta for me!” She had done a number of exciting and meaningful things in her life but owning a gallery of her own had been an unrealized dream.
Elfersy succeeded in diverse fields. She taught French at two Jewish schools in Montreal, worked as an employment counselor at the Jewish Vocational Services in the same city, then entered the corporate world of training and development.
In 1985, she and her husband and their young son, Adrian, moved to Atlanta, just in time for Purim. It was a lush, young, dynamic city, and they were ready to leave the cold weather and political friction of Montreal.
Elfersy became an adjunct French professor at several of Atlanta’s universities, and then was invited to become the public relations director of the Atlanta Boy Choir. Meanwhile, she started to think seriously about owning an art and jewelry gallery. A seasoned risk-taker, she was about to plunge into unknown waters again, this time to make her dream come true.
She had shopped at a beautiful Asian boutique, Zen, in Toco Hills, which was closing and liquidating its stock. The shop and its inventory became Elfersy’s first step. Soon afterwards she learned that Alexia Gallery in Decatur was closing.
About 4 ½ years ago, on Chol HaMoed Sukkot, it became Elfersy’s current gallery.
But the new location lacked the ambience she envisioned. Through a series of connections, she found interior designer/decorator Dennis Adams and enlisted the help of Tal Moran, who, as an unexpected bonus, expertly repairs and designs jewelry.
After attending an exhibit of Jewish artists at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Elfersy decided to have one of her own, and chose those who are featured in her current exhibition.
The mellow aura, original art, jewelry and cultural events of Elfersy’s gallery make it popular with a broad spectrum of visitors. It is a welcoming spot, with a Jewish soul.
Aimee Jewelry and Fine Art Gallery is located at 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite B, in Decatur.
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