The way JoAnna Greene and John Fallin see it, finding a home for their gallery in downtown Dunedin was like a sign from above.

After 20 years of working from her home and in the homes of her millionaire clients, Greene, a renowned artist who specializes in decorative painting, wanted to open a gallery to showcase and promote her work.

Unable to find a spot in Dunedin, she and Fallin opened Phoenix Studio Gallery on North Fort Harrison Avenue in Clearwater in mid-October.

But the shop, while perfect for their needs, was in a less-than-ideal area and drew little foot traffic, frustrating the new business owners.

“We had our windows shot out twice, and there was always prostitutes and homeless people around,” Fallin recalls. “We loved the building, but the location was terrible.”

By chance, an old acquaintance of Greene’s, Firehouse Gallery owner Ali Amidimehr, stopped by the Fort Harrison shop one day to see what it had to offer.

Amidimehr wound up offering his old friend a chance at a new life in the gallery business.

“Ali told us this property he owned on Highland Avenue had just become available. We checked it out and made the decision to move that day,” Greene said.

The new location, formerly home to Moffatt's Cup of Tea, isn’t as big as Greene and Fallin's previous place. But the owners have already seen a sizable increase in business, and the pair will gladly trade the extra space for the peace of mind that comes with being in the right spot.

'We had looked for a place in Dunedin for quite a while, so for this to come about the way it did, that has to mean something," Fallin says.

The gallery will feature a variety of Greene's work, along with pieces done by local artists. Greene specializes in decorative painting of furniture and walls, and she enjoys working in various other mediums, including fine art, abstract and new styles.

She also plans to offer art classes outside the gallery so students can learn to express their creativity in a gorgeous outdoor environment.

"Now that my sons are grown and out of the house, I am able to spread my wings a little bit," she said.

Fallin and Greene are grateful everything came together for them in such a short time, and they have a theory for what's behind the fortuitous turn of events. 

“The name of the company is Phoenix. We had a bird that was in the ashes … so maybe this bird will rise again,” Fallin reasons.

“The flames are already next door,” Greene adds, referring to the former home of the Firehouse Gallery.  “We’ll take that as a sign."

Phoenix Studio Gallery

Address: 828 Highland Ave.

Phone: 727-724-4280

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-4 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday