My name is Edith Ellwood Pair and I am the owner of Ellair Gallery in Charlevoix, MI. Let me tell you a little bit about myself; I was painting at the early age of 4 years old thanks to an acrylic paint set and easel my father gave me. Since then, I have maintained a love and passion for art. I was raised in Charlevoix where I graduated in the class of 1992. While in high school, I was a “People to People” junior ambassador and traveled to the USSR the summer after my sophomore year. The following year, I attended the prestigious Parsons School of Design’s summer program for young artists where I concentrated in Fashion Design. Since I have a passion for Fine Arts, I chose to attend The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a degree in Fashion Design in 1998. I continued my stay in what I like to call “the best city in the world” i.e. Chicago. I freelanced for several companies while living in the city, including the Levy Corporation, a highly regarded restaurant group second only to The Lettuce Entertain You group. I was hired for numerous jobs including the entire re-design of the Bistro 110 café, as well as Jake Melnicks a year later, where we were voted one of the best outdoor café’s in the city.

Shortly after making the decision to move back to Michigan, I took an internship at the Gaslight Gallery in Petoskey and learned a great deal. I am now the proud owner of the Ellair Gallery in Charlevoix where I feature not only my own original artwork, but the works of the renowned artist, Todd Warner. I also carry the works of a dozen or so local artists including Linda Boss, Bev Eby and Tony Dunaske to name a few. In addition, I have smaller gift items such as jewelry, books by local authors, and a vintage clothing and accessories line. I am getting more recognition and exposure each year and hope to remain a staple in the Charlevoix business community for years to come, along with possible sister stores in Chicago and lower Michigan.

My main concentration throughout this time was to slowly start building the business I always dreamed of. I always knew I eventually wanted a gallery and retail business and I knew it would be called Ellair, which is actually derived from my full name, Edith Ellwood Pair, as well as the street, Ellair Place in Grosse Pointe Park, MI, where I was born and raised. I felt it was the perfect name for my business and it has stuck with me the entire time.