Photo Mike Brothers
Arthur gallery owners Joan and Jerry Winters pose in front of a mural of their former home in Carmel, Calif. along with store pets Monet and Manet.

•November 25, 2015•

By Ariana Cherry
for the News Progress

The small, yet busy, little town  of Arthur has gained another piece of magic in its downtown area.

Alongside the Amish businesses just down the street from the old-fashioned soda fountain at Dicks Pharmacy, Winters Fine Art Gallery offers original pieces of beautiful artwork.  The quaintness and spirit of the small community caught the hearts of the new gallery owners on a visit here.

“We came back to visit family. Someone invited us to Yoder’s, and we thought this looked like a nice village to have a shop in. We love the people. This is something we’ve always wanted to do,” said Joan Winters, one of the owners of Winters Fine Art Gallery.

It seemed to be by chance that Joan and her husband Jerry came here, as they actually lived in Carmel, California for 50 years where they ran a similar art gallery. Not only did they have a gallery across the United States but they also had one out of the country that was in Vezelay, France. The couple still own a home there where they visit from time to time.  Now the two live in Decatur where Joan’s daughter lives. She has a niece who lives in Bloomington, Indiana so having a business in this area made sense to be closer to family.

The Winters are both artists themselves and come from artistic backgrounds. Joan spent the majority of her childhood surrounded by art. Her mother was an artist and painted right up until she passed away at 94.

“She didn’t want any publicity or her tranquility disturbed,” noted Joan. “Art was in my blood. My mom was a painter and Dad was a musician,” she said.

Jerry grew up around the entertainment business. His father was one of the original band members of the “Red Nickels and Five Pennies.” He performed with many well-known bands. Jerry carried on the entertainment tradition by going on tour and performing in USO Shows with Bob Hope.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.