Tara Sareen and Marcie Hathaway DePhillipo at their new art gallery, Sareen Hathaway, at 601 Conestoga Rd. in Villanova. After scouring downtown Wayne, the partners chose a nearby location that was “visually interesting,” large enough to show 40+ rotating works of art at a time, and sophisticated enough to entertain clients and designers.
They knew Merritt’s clients better than anyone. Now they’re the ones with the gallery.
Four months after Merritt Gallery closed in Haverford Square – ending a 20-year run as a fixture of the Main Line art scene – two former employees have opened their own ambitious sales/framing/art-consulting venture in Radnor: Sareen Hathaway Gallery.
“We source and sell sophisticated original art but don’t want to feel pretentious at all,” explains Tara Sareen, a Wayne mom and standout Merritt salesperson who co-owns the new gallery with Merritt’s former director/curator, Marcie Hathaway DePhillipo. “I always tell people if you have eyes and a heart, you know art. You know what you love – that’s all you need to know.”
“We really wanted to keep our clients, to be where they are and not start over somewhere else,” adds DePhillipo.
Sareen Hathaway occupies the rear addition to the circa-1808 Ithan General Store at Conestoga and Radnor-Chester roads.
Off the well-trod paths of Lancaster Ave. and King of Prussia Mall, the new gallery “is a destination, a place you go to escape. Like any fabulous gallery or museum, it’s a place where you can be solitary and reflect.” — Tara Sareen, co-owner.
Rustic beams, wide plank floors and a warm paint palette provide a handsome backdrop for the smashing art that graces the walls in a suite of adjoining rooms.
“We deliberately chose a space that looks more like the homes where our clients are living, and where they’ll be hanging our art,” says DePhillipo.
The gallery has partnered with artists who share a “classic contemporary aesthetic,” she says. From as near as Philadelphia (including award-winning illustrator Armando Veve) and as far as Amsterdam and Paris. Many, though not all, were favorites from Merritt.
Sareen and DePhillipo are drawn to artists “with a softer touch, who tell a story,” Sareen says. “We want to see time spent. I love when you can see an artist’s process — rich oils, dynamic brushwork. With a lot of abstract art, you get modern work people can’t identify with… We wanted art with humanity and depth, not necessarily decorative.”
Weight of Balance Gold Sun, by Cathy Hegman, a contemporary figurative artist from Mississippi. 40 x 40 in, oil on wood.
Prices include framing and start under $1,000, though highly established artists command significantly higher prices.
Toro Bravo No. 96, by Connecticut artist Joseph Adolphe. 56.5 x 68.75 in.
The gallery also houses a custom frame shop — for your art or theirs. Sareen Hathaway is one of the few galleries in the area to offer hand-cut, closed-corner frames.
Marcie DePhillipo discusses bespoke framing for a Wellon Bridgers’ painting at Sareen Hathaway Gallery in Villanova. When they closed in Haverford, Merritt Gallery owners Merritt Miller and Rachel Rubin gave their framing table to the new Villanova gallery. While Sareen Hathaway’s partner artists so far aren’t local, its furniture is. Most came from The Velvet Shoestring in Wayne.
Another Merritt holdover, gallery assistant Brandon Mariano, helps Sareen Hathaway offer clients complimentary home showings within a reasonable distance. A piece you’re unsure about in the gallery may “sing in your space,” Sareen says.
Sareen and DePhillipo’s extensive contacts in the art world also make them a valued resource for art consulting, whether for a home or an office: sourcing a particular artist or work, or suggesting pieces that will elevate clients’ walls and reflect their aesthetic. “It could be someone saying, ‘I saw this small Picasso drawing, and I know there are 200 out there. Could you find me one?'” DePhillipo explains.
The partners hope to work with other galleries and local nonprofit art centers. “The art world is way too small to be snarky with each other, to say, ‘I’m gonna get more clients than you,'” DePhillipo says. “It’s not about that. We all fill different niches. Let’s all work together to make sure we all stay around.”
The gallery plans to be a hub — for art contemplation and transactions, yes, but also for conversation and community. Client-appreciation nights, First Friday wine-and-cheeses and art-education events are all on the owners’ vision board. “We wanted a place where we could entertain, bring people in for talks and help people learn,” DePhillipo says. “We want this to be a place where people gather. We really want to change the art scene on the Main Line.”
But for Sareen, the real reward is smaller and more personal than any event calendar.
“We’re always watching the client watch art — when it moves them and they don’t even know why. It can be a memory from way back when. It’s sensory, entirely in the body. When it resonates, it’s very moving and intimate. It’s a privilege to be able to witness that.”
Sareen Hathaway Gallery, 601 Conestoga Rd, Suite 300, Villanova, is open Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. 5 p.m. and by appointment. Contact Marcie DePhillipo at (610) 212-3604 or Tara Sareen (508) 561-6629. Invitation-only Grand Opening celebration Sept. 17. Follow @sareenhathaway on Instagram for First Friday details, gallery updates and other events.
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