Downtown art gallery will close after 2 years in business

Abbey Nutter

Love ART and Antiques Gallery, located in Fountain Park Square, will be closing its doors on the last days of February so the owners can focus on teaching and family.

Love ART and Antiques Gallery was opened in June 2016 by Robert and Ronna Love, two Bowling Green locals who worked as art teachers for around 30 years. The pair retired and returned to Bowling Green, where they founded their business in the city’s town square. Robert Love said his goal in opening the business was to entertain himself and his wife during their retirement and to support local and Kentucky artists.

“I’m a Kentucky crafted artist, and I represented a few Kentucky artists in my gallery and that’s going to continue to happen.” Love said. “Dealing with the brick and mortar part of it, I’ve decided that I don’t want to continue doing that.”

Advertisement

The owners announced the gallery closing in a Facebook post on Jan. 5.

While the gallery will close its doors at the end of February, Love said it will be open consistently for the next three to four weeks and will remain looking relatively normal during that time. During the last few days before closing, he said he anticipates shorter business hours.

Although Love will continue to make art, he said he would have to be out of the storefront at 915 State Street by the final day of February.

“I’m supposedly retired, but I’ve been doing this [the business] and I’m teaching a foundation art class at Western,” Love said. “I’ve got grown kids, I’m possibly going on a trip, and once you think about doing those kinds of things, it’s tricky to devote time to a small business.”

Until the final days of February, artwork will still be for sale at Love ART and Antiques Gallery. Love’s art will still be available for purchase on his personal website, robertlove.com.

Abbigail Nutter can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]