(L-R) Boris Garbe sits with Ambar Santiago and Juan Pablo Santa Luna. (Photo by Juan David Tena)
ORLANDO | Tucked away in the heart of the Mills 50 District of Orlando, Mills Gallery says artists will always be more important than the artwork.
Boris Garbe founded Mills Gallery in January 2016 and feels proud when he looks back on the past 10 years. Garbe is also the lead gallerist and is known for his commitment to showcasing bold, contemporary work from emerging and established artists.
”I want people to look at Mills Gallery and know that my fundamental point was always the artist is more important than the art…When people own a Picasso, they don’t even know the title, they just know it’s a Picasso,” Garbe shares.
With a background in both art and business, Boris brings a keen curatorial eye and a passion for community-building to every exhibition. Originally, Boris was a Spanish and Sign Language teacher for 15 years before he started the gallery.
With his dedication, Mills Gallery became Orlando’s first gender-equal gallery and strives to exhibit an equal amount of female and male artists annually.
The team at Mills Gallery is made up of Boris, Executive Director Juan Pablo Santa Luna and Operations Assistant Ambar Santiago. Both are artists who want to own their own gallery in the future and are currently learning the business side.
In the beginning, Boris says he doubted himself and worried whether the gallery would be around long-term. After 10 years, the space has created an environment where artists and the community connect. He says he’s open about his sexuality to anyone who asks and is proudly over 20 years sober. When he reflects on the decade, he says he has found his voice and no longer feels like an intruder in the art world.
“Our foundation is to help the artists,” Boris says. “… I want people to remember that we encourage artists in a completely different way.”
Boris says the gallery is non-political. He sells art to everybody because he believes artists are doctors, and what they do is medicine. He notes that some people need more medicine than others.
Mills Gallery has become known for featuring both young and up-and-coming artists as well as seasoned creators. The current exhibition, “Things We Think We Know,” by Doug Bloodworth is on display until April 30. The exhibition showcases photorealist paintings that spark recognition through personal and collective memories.
”I hope Mills Gallery is remembered as a place that helps encourage, support and guided, not just artists, but all of the people that have worked here through the years,” Boris shares.
For more information, visit MillsGalleryOrlando.com.
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