In the English Village section of Birmingham, Gallery Terrence Denley is a place of light and inspiration and the new kid on a decidedly old block. Transformed from an old gas station building, its modernist architecture, all white and glass, is in high relief to its traditional Tudor-clad neighbors. Owner Terry Slaughter always admired the structure's original architecture, built in the 1950s when many gas stations were being designed with modernist lines. "When I walked into it, I knew it was the place for the gallery," he says.
The gallery's physical space remains close to the station's original layout, though a few doors were knocked down and some areas slightly reconfigured. Slaughter collaborated with architect Bill Ingram on the project. "We took good design and made it better," explains Slaughter.
What makes the gallery even more unique, aside from the building's history, is its mission. It does not exist to support its founders, Terry, and his wife, Jennifer. Profits are given to causes that improve human lives, with emphasis on building houses in Mexico, creating flower arrangements for hospice patients in Birmingham, and supporting the Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham.
The gallery name is from Slaughter's full name,
Terrence Denley. It is one gallery with three components--one for art, one for chairs, and one for gardening accessories and paper. The art gallery walls are lined with a collection that rotates every three months, the exception being the work of Anna Walinska (1906-1997), which will be up for about a year. "We call this 'A Celebration of Women' because women are the subjects of all these paintings, and the proceeds serve the Women's Fund," Slaughter says.
In the chair gallery, which Slaughter aptly calls "Chairity," carefully selected chairs of both modern and vintage design appear to be patrons, each with personality, waiting for cocktails in a sophisticated lounge.
The garden gallery opens onto a hedge-walled lawn. There is great diversity in the collection: handmade Japanese paper journals, silver and gold jewelry, limestone birdbaths on stainless-steel stands designed by Slaughter, and a selection of vases, many vintage and of European origin.
For Slaughter, an artist and visionary, a man of faith, and the founder of the advertising agency Slaughter-Hanson, the gallery is the realization of a dream. "I wanted to create a gallery to showcase the best design I could find," he says, "and use it to enlighten people to the idea of using beauty and creativity and channeling them into helping others. I was given a talent, and I want to use it in a way that will make a financial impact and perhaps start others thinking."
What Slaughter has done is create El Nidal and Perenity. El Nidal (Spanish for "the nest") is an organization committed to building houses in Piedras Negras, a Mexican border town near Eagle Pass, Texas. He
explains, "Through the gallery and Slaughter-Hanson, and with an occasional corporate sponsorship, we are building a house a month. Each
costs about $7,500. There are three full-time Mexican laborers on our payroll, and twice a year, I take 10-12 people from our firm to help out. The houses are simple, stucco structures, but they make a tremendous difference in the lives of the people."
Perenity, a hybrid of the words "eternity" and "perennial," evolved from the Slaughters' desire to share the abundant beauty of their perennial and rose gardens. It began small with Jennifer making flower arrangements for hospice patients. Now, around 200 individuals receive an arrangement every week, and flower sources have grown to include donations from weddings and funerals.
Gallery Terrence Denley unites Slaughter's compassionate heart and his artistic eye. It is his belief that creativity and beautiful design can only improve the human condition.
READ MORE