Dowling Walsh Gallery

Dowling Walsh to receive Chamber Award

Photo by Daniel Dunkle

Dowling Walsh Gallery is the Penobscot Bay Chamber’s 2009 recipient for the Downtown Business District Interior and Exterior Improvement Award.

This award is given “to a business that has increased its investment through renovations and expansion demonstrating a commitment to growth in one of the downtown areas in the Penobscot Bay Region.”

The following is an excerpt from an article in Village Soup, written by Daniel Dunkle and Holly Anderson, Village Soup Reporters.

“This award winner had humble retail beginnings — namely the living room of the owner’s home. Quickly outgrowing that space, he soon landed in a corner location on Main Street in Rockland. It was in this location that his business attracted more great Maine artists to represent, and their success is nothing short of amazing.”

“In a few short years, the single storefront has expanded to almost half a block in the heart of downtown. Through collaborative efforts with the landlord, a substantial interior renovation and exterior restoration was completed during the last year. The resulting gallery is spectacular, but that’s not all. Hard work and perseverance have always paid off for this gallery owner. He now represents some of Maine’s most highly sought-after artists, and this success has resulted in his ability to attract affluent patrons to the Midcoast art scene. More importantly, it has contributed to a more vibrant and attractive downtown. It is for this wonderful collaboration that the chamber offers this award to Jake Dowling of Dowling Walsh Gallery.”