Adams Galleries of Austin Ryan Adams opened Adams Galleries of Austin with his mother and twin brother in April.[/caption]

Identical twins Ryan and Michael Adams grew up around design, Ryan said. When they were young, their parents worked as furniture sales representatives, and their grandmother owns an interior design firm in Plano, he said.

“We grew up in warehouses,” Ryan said. The brothers teamed up in April with their mother, Jan, to open Adams Galleries of Austin, an art gallery and framing shop in Lakeway.

The store specializes in selling oil paintings on canvas, Ryan said. The advantage of featuring oil paintings is the lack of a need for glass to protect the art—no sheen, glare, or the need to constantly keep the piece clean once it hangs on a wall, he said.

All paintings at the gallery are priced at less than $700.

“We want to be known as that art gallery that has everything and is not crazy expensive,” Ryan said.

Adams Galleries typically keeps 1,000 paintings in its inventory, providing customers with multiple options, he said.

Giving the customers the ability to touch the artwork is intentional, he said. 

Adams Galleries of Austin Adams Galleries of Austin offers oil paintings on canvas as well as framing and other artwork.[/caption]

“I love touch,” Ryan said. “It makes a big difference with visual art.”

To purchase new art pieces, Ryan and his mother meet with art brokers stationed in various cities throughout the country.

“We get to look at hundreds of thousands of pieces of beautiful artwork,” he said. “It’s kind of like a treasure hunt—looking for that gem that’s sitting in the stack. We take our time with buying and finding the specific pieces that will work here.”

Ryan said that what is trending in Lakeway and Steiner Ranch is “transitional” art—pieces that have a modern feel but are not too stark.

Ryan said he and his family know the area well. He and Michael attended Lake Travis High School and played on the first Cavalier football team to win the state championship in 2008.

Aiming to create a full-service business in his hometown, Ryan said he will transport artwork to customers’ homes for them to try out a piece.

“We work raw—nothing is stretched, nothing is framed,” Ryan said.  “We can move a picture around the room and figure out how to frame it up perfectly to fit the space.”

Framing happens on-site at the gallery where customers can choose from more than 950 frames, he said. Once an image is selected and framed, Ryan returns to the customer’s home to hang the artwork if he or she chooses.

“Our big goal is to reach out to our customers and create a very catered experience,” Ryan said. “If [a customer] needs something, [he or she should] just ask.”

Local artists

Featured local artists include:

  • Su Allen
  • Stephanie Estrin
  • John Grimball
  • Steven Lavaggi
  • Alex Retivov
  • Janet Sims

Open house

On Dec. 11 from 6-8 p.m., Adams Galleries will host an open house featuring local artist Alex Retivov. Food from Fore restaurant and wine courtesy of LT Wine will be served.

900 S. RR 620, Ste. B110, Lakeway 512-243-7429 www.adamsgalleriesaustin.com Hours: Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.