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Whenever Nancy Eudy needs to buy a gift or remembrance, she heads from her Oak Ridge home to The Fat Cat Ltd.

"What a wonderful store," Eudy says.

Owner Gwenn Lance moved her gallery from Madison to Oak Ridge Commons in 2007.

In its expansive space, she sells original paintings, pottery, jewelry, hand-made clothing and artistic pieces made from metal, wood and glass. Prices start at less than $20.

They have been created by more than 100 artists, most from North Carolina but some from as far away as Moldova in eastern Europe.

"It never ceases to amaze me what artists think of," Lance says. "They continue to surprise me in their creativity and execution."

Lance has her own artistic outlet. She creates a line of bathrobes made of cotton knit fabric and linen clothing for women.

To name her business, Lance drew on her nephew George's drawing of a fat cat for inspiration. George's cat can be found on the tag in each bathrobe.

Lance's satisfaction comes from helping customers such as Eudy find that piece that speaks to them. To make its art accessible, she keeps her gallery open seven days a week.

"It's about exposing people to art, and the joy that you see in people when they connect to a piece of art," Lance says. "I believe if you connect once, you are connected forever."

 

Contact Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane at 373-5204 or dawn.kane@news-record.com

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