Reston Gallery Takes Heroic Step To Honor Coronavirus Heroes

RESTON, VA — All during February, Leslie Combemale was hyper-vigilante about following the progress of the coronavirus as it spread through Asia and Europe.

Her husband, Michael Barry, is in his 60s and has had asthma all of his life. So, Combemale was aware that he was at higher risk for infection from the virus.

"By about the 25th of February, I started really thinking that we needed to keep Michael away from people coming into the store as much as possible," she said. "By the 5th of March, we were just taking appointments and it was just me doing it."

Combemale and Barry are co-owners of ArtInsights Gallery of Film and Contemporary Art (11921 Freedom DriveReston VA 20190), which has been in Reston Town Center since 1994.

"We sell animation art," Combemale said. "It's all official art by artists who are actually working in the studios or was actually used in the making of something. There's no fan art in our store."

According to Combemale, back when ArtInsights first opened, Reston Town Center was all dirt floors and there were no coffee shops for people to hang out in.

"People used to come into our store with their newspaper and drink their coffee," Combemale said. "It was a long time ago and we have weathered a number of storms in Reston Town Center, both figuratively and literally."

On March 12, before Virginia Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued his stay-at-home order, mandating that all non-essential businesses stay closed until June 10, Combemale and Barry closed ArtInsights's storefront except for occasional appointments of one person at a time.

"Now I do an appointment for a client as long as they're all the way on the other side of the store," she said. "But we're not really doing that because we have a lot of clients who are older or at risk. I think it's really important to respect and honor the people who have been supporting us this whole time to keep it open."

Fortunately, ArtInsights already had a robust online store, so they've been able to keep the business going while the brick-and-mortar shop was closed.

Rather than just run sales to keep the revenue up, Combemale wanted to help support artists and wholesalers who may have lost income due to all the closures. She also wanted to help out the people who are on the frontline of coronavirus responders.

To do that, she and Barry launched the ArtInsights Heroes Initiative, in which they will donate 10 percent of all sales of heroic art to two charities, Direct Relief and Nurses House.

"I think that it's really difficult, not just for me, but for all small businesses," Combemale said. "My heart goes out to the restaurants and like the gyms. There is very little they can do beyond depending on the love and support of their customers and clients."

See also ...

• Herndon Yoga Center Turns To Online Video During Coronavirus
• Tea And Sympathy In The Time Of Coronavirus
  
• Reston Clothing Shop Donating Dresses To Coronavirus Responders
• Herndon's Weird Brothers Coffee Adapts To Coronavirus

This is one in a series of articles Patch is writing about small businesses in the area. Small business owners can also add their the name of their business to our list of open businesses in Herndon and Reston.