Anne Irwin set up her Buckhead shop 25 years ago as a way to connect passionate Southern artists with equally passionate patrons, but its roots reach back farther than that.

“Actually, it got started when I was about 5. I have always just loved art,” said the Buckhead resident, recalling her kindergarten art class.

The assignment was to draw a house, “but I wanted to splatter the colors together,” she said. “It was like magic. The whole class stopped and stared at me and the mess I had made. That’s kind of the story of my life. I’ve never done things the way I was ‘supposed’ to.”

Irwin hosted home shows and helped connect artists with other galleries before striking out on her own with Anne Irwin Fine Art’s original Bennett Street location in Buckhead.

Irwin said she sees herself as being in a service business — both nurturing artists and filling her collectors’ needs.

“Every artist I represent is a passionate professional. They have to create. It’s something that’s in them,” she said. “If you buy a piece of work by someone who is passionate, you’ve got something no one else in the world has.
“There’s humanity about having an original piece of art in your home. Art has heart and soul in it. When I sell a piece of art, it’s the highlight of my day because the person buying it loves it, but they also don’t know how much they’re going to love it in the future.”

In celebration of the anniversary, Irwin will host a show at the gallery’s new Miami Circle location in Buckhead.

Entitled “Best of Show,” the event features more than 30 artists, many of whom have been with Irwin for the entirety of her career.

Participating artist Barbara Flowers, a Panama City, Fla., resident, said Irwin’s longevity in the art world stems from a passion for cultivating relationships with artists and clients, as well as creating an accessible environment in the gallery.

“I think Anne is visionary and I think that’s what makes her different. She’s always striving to keep the gallery and the artist at the highest end possible, exposure-wise,” she said. “She’s always working to make the gallery a beautiful, working place.”

“Best of Show” will open with a reception Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.