by Lizzie Stricklin

The 8100 block of Germantown Avenue is home to a great variety of stores and attractions. Simply by walking down the Avenue one may pass a theater, delicious eateries and stores full of toys and apparel. Passersby, however, will no longer be able to find art and custom framing from Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery.

Nevertheless, art lovers have no need to fear – the gallery has simply moved uptown.

As of Aug. 2, Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery has relocated to 1, 5, and 7 East Gravers Lane. Previously at 8117 Germantown Ave., the newly renamed Borrelli's Chestnut Hill Gallery (Fine Art & Framing) has upgraded to this multi-window front location to expand the size of the gallery as well as its selection of hand-crafted frames.

From this new venue, recently renovated by Bowman Properties, the gallery is able to showcase more spectacular works of art from both its in-house and exhibition artists. It is now offering more hand-carved, gold-leaf and museum-quality frames made in-house by professional frame makers.

“Several things came together that allowed us this opportunity, and we felt that our 10th anniversary year was a great to time to expand,” said owner Joe Borrelli. “With the many artists we represent and amount of framing jobs we receive, we’ve really outgrown our current space. We are fortunate to have a solid base of loyal customers, but we hope moving up the Hill will give us even more visibility with the additional foot traffic.”

Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery (Fine Art & Framing) features a great variety of art styles, including photography and sculpture, as well as representational, impressionist, and abstract art. All featured art is the work of contemporary artists – both award-winners and new, emerging artists showcasing their talent. The gallery hosts many in-house artists in addition to building strong partnerships with renowned American painters, photographers, and sculptors.

According to Borrelli, “Gallery partnerships include such notable artists as HBO-featured artist Chuck Connelly, nationally-acclaimed American realist Neal Hughes, PAFA legend Phil Cohn, local urban folk artist Robert Arnosky; vibrant landscape painters Sandra Hoffman and Gail Bessette, watercolorist Susannah Hart Thomer, and Latin folk artist Marta Sanchez.”

Throughout the month, the new showcase art galleries will be set up and organized. The gallery has often celebrated opening nights of exhibits with receptions in which guests can view the new artwork and speak with the artist. While the 8117 Germantown Avenue location featured only a main gallery displaying new exhibits every few months and a backroom gallery displaying the work of the many in-house artists, the new location will feature expanded galleries and more works from many of Chestnut Hill’s favorite artists.

This relocation has moved the Chestnut Hill Gallery out of the 8100 block – home to Stagecrafters theater, Bredenbeck’s Bakery & Ice Cream, and more – and into the uptown 8400 block. As well as being next door to the J. McLaughlin clothing store, Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery (Fine Art & Framing) also finds new neighbors in Gravers Lane Gallery, Hobe Antiques, and the Philadelphia Print Shop.

“We are very excited about moving onto the block we think of as ‘Artist’s Row,’” Borrelli said. “The other galleries and antique shops on the 8400 block have their own unique wares, and we think our businesses will only complement each other. It also affords us more opportunities to collaborate for special events and gallery openings (i.e. First Fridays, etc.) down the road.”

This is the first time the Chestnut Hill Gallery is expanding. When asked why the shop chose to stay in Chestnut Hill while relocating to a larger building, Borrelli said, “Chestnut Hill is THE ideal location for selling art and custom framing.”

“Chestnut Hill gets thousands of visitors annually, patronizing our multitude of shops, museums and restaurants,” he said. “Additionally, [I] worked in Chestnut Hill for many years in managing the Hahn Gallery prior to owning Borrelli’s Chestnut Hill Gallery and established long lasting relationships with customers in the community. And Chestnut Hill is one of the most beautiful, walkable, and well visited areas in Philadelphia and the region. We get customers not just from the region but other states and even countries.”

Although the new galleries are still being organized, customers are encouraged to bring their framing requests to the new location right away. The framing workshop is now being housed in a separate building on-site.

Borrelli and his staff are very excited about the move, expecting it to bring a great increase in business and foot traffic to the gallery. In terms of whether the gallery will expand further in the future, Borrelli said merely, “You never know.”

Though it now appears bigger than ever, the Chestnut Hill Gallery remains a small business, born and raised in the heart of Chestnut Hill. Borrelli has not forgotten this, saying, “We are grateful for all of our loyal customers through these past 10 years,” and is looking forward to the new opportunities to be found on East Gravers Lane.