The Red Dot gallery team celebrated its grand opening last Friday evening: (l-r) Brian Brandt, David House, Robert Ferrini, Jennifer Sheehan, Jeffrey Chatlos and John Tirone.

By Bill Forry
Managing Editor

It's the kind of housewarming that any new neighbor would relish: A three-day soiree marked last weekend's grand opening of Dorchester's first storefront art gallery in the heart of Lower Mills.

The Washington street space &endash;directly across from Spuckie's pizza- is the caboose of a train of specialty stores that has made this corner of Dorchester a citywide destination for painters, antiquers and craftsmen- and those who wish they were. Set against a streetscape dominated by the red bricks of the Baker Chocolate campus, the new gallery is innovative in another way: The business is a collaborative effort by two existing stores that have led the way in making Lower Mills a specialty shopping destination.

Robert Ferrini, the trailblazing owner of Dark Horse antiques at the corner of Dot Ave. and Washington, joined forces with Flat Black coffee house owners David House and Jeffrey Chatlos to launch the gallery. Along with their partners- Brian Brandt, John Tirone and local artist Jennifer Sheehan- the Lower Mills merchants were motivated by a desire to keep their block's boutique quality intact.

"The store was going to be vacant again and we wanted to be sure someone went in there who was retail to add to the whole walk-around-the-block kind of feel," explains Ferrini.

Chatlos, who started Flat Black cafe four years ago with House and his wife Jennifer, says that the gallery idea is something he and his business partners have long dreamt about.

"Davis is a sculptor and, years ago, we had a business plan for a gallery for Newbury Street. As it turned out someone else did it and that store went out of business in about a year-and-a half," Chatlos laughs. "But when we opened [Flat Black], we thought, wouldn't it be great to do what we always wanted in this neighborhood."

With their coffee business expanding- Flat Black has a second location that is now thriving in Boston's Financial District- Chatlos says that joining forces with Ferrini and friends made sense from a management perspective too.

"Robert's experience in the antique business gives a real connectivity to the work here," says Chatlos. "We thought, if we just rent it, we can pull it together and really make it a hub for all the talented artists who live in Dorchester and a ready market for all the buyers that we think are out there in Dorchester and Milton."

Even the gallery's signage has added to the block's quirky appeal: A red circle made of iron - a piece of sculpture art made by friends of Ferrini- hangs from the façade above the doorway.

"The sign was a fluke," says Ferrini. "The name came from about 25 dinner meetings trying to figure out a name. The Red Dot signifies the items that are sold in a gallery- and the Dorchester connection too."

When Ferrini told friends Steve Wilkins and Ralph Currie about the name, the couple pointed to their Bushnell Street yard, where an iron red dot made for a Dorchester art competition several years ago was, um, stored.

They said, 'would you like one?'" says Ferrini. "It was just in their backyard and it was perfect."

Inside, six featured artists make up the bulk of the gallery's initial offerings: There are paintings by Milton's Esther Garcia Eder and Mattapan's Lee Leonard, a member of the Dorchester Artists Collaborative, which has been a major supporter of the gallery's start-up; Boston-based painters Christina Lanzl and Liett Marcil. Dorchester jewelry artist Susan Hardiman and purse-maker Jennifer Sheehan are also featured in the present display.

Sheehan, who grew up on nearby Oakridge Street and attended St. Gregory's grammar school, has previously sold her specialty purses through bridal stores in Nantucket and Newbury Street. Sheehan, who until recently lived in the Baker apartments, says she's excited to be making a financial- and artistic investment in her neighborhood.

"I invited people from all over the city of Boston- even New York- to come to the event. And people always come and say, 'Oh, I love this area,'" says Sheehan. "Having the artist's lofts across the street [in the Baker Administration building], I think we really complement them well too."

Sheehan believes that the adjacent communities alone can support a gallery, "particularly because we are a mixture of fine arts and crafts."

"People looking for a specialty gift don't have to go all the way to Newbury Street or South Shore Plaza.

"Between Dorchester, Mattapan or Milton there are a lot of people who would otherwise travel to shop who would love to do it locally."

According to Ferrini and Chatlos, all of the partners will act as a jury to decide which artists will be featured in later exhibitions. Already, the team has been approached individually by local artists eager to have their works highlighted in the space. Chatlos says that the team prefers to get portfolio submissions by disk or online, but will accept hard copies at the gallery as well.

"We'll add to what's here in October for Dorchester Open Studios," says Chatlos. "Towards holidays we'll add more fine arts and fabrics. In winter and spring, we are planning for some more fine art openings."