Art Spotlight is not your average art gallery. Its owners, Teri Althouse and Thays Franca are not your average gallery owners. The two firecrackers met as competitors in an art battle in 2019. Competing next to each other in front of a large crowd of spectators sparked a friendship rather than a rivalry. Unbeknownst to them, the beginning of a partnership was forming.

Teri Althouse is an award-winning faux finish and mural artist; she has been involved in the arts all her life.  Thays Franca started coloring the Ormond Beach main street in 2015 when she opened her first gallery and studio on Granada Blvd.

A year or two passed with the two artists running into each other around town, always eager to catch up and engage in some small talk. Early in 2021, an unexpected opportunity arose to take over the old Arts on Granada Gallery as the owner moved to Daytona. At first, neither was interested, but talkers that they are, Teri and Thays soon found common ground and a strong love for the arts and the community of Ormond Beach. A plan was formed, and a new art gallery was in the works. It took almost a year, but in July 2022, the dream came true, and Art Spotlight was officially open to the public. The goal is to “create, collaborate, and elevate” the arts and artists in the Ormond Beach area.

Art Spotlight is a unique, artist-initiative fine art gallery. Currently hosting 26 “member artists” with room to grow, Art Spotlight promotes a new front gallery show each month for the Art Walk. Stop in the first Saturday of each month between 3 and 7 pm to see what all the fuss is about. Teri and Thays are also committed to the community and offer a unique space for rental. They can host up to 120 people for a variety of events, office parties, meetings, and even small weddings.

Along the way, they added Jon Benjamin to the picture. Jon brings the perfect balance to the two energetic and sometimes over-the-top entrepreneurs. They have now become a trio of artists at the Art Spotlight. On any given day, you might find one of them painting away one of their masterpieces in the window. Be prepared, they are both talkers, so come over, ask for some coffee or wine, and sit down for a chat.