interview by Jess McCuan . photo by Matt Rose

Name: Jeannie Adair

Age: 43

Occupations: Co-owner at Coop, a gallery and studio in downtown Asheville; information architect and principal at Adair Design

How long have you been in town? My husband [Chad] and I moved here from L.A. three years ago.

And how long has Coop been open? Two years. For the first year we lived here, I worked down in our basement. I was spending 40 hours at home in the basement. It wasn’t healthy.

Do you show art in any particular medium or style? No particular style. We show sculpture, large-scale paintings, some photography. We’ve been doing mostly group shows, and a few solo shows. Artist friends who ask if they can do a solo show—we say, ‘Sure, why not?’

What kind of art do you like personally? I like art that contains everyday icons or symbols, things from our collective consciousness… art that reinterprets them or gives them new meaning.

What’s an example? It could be some kind of urban landscape, treated in a different color scheme, or logos or things that we see every day. Things we become blind to. When they’re put in a canvas or a different context, they become something else.

And does that translate into what you wear? I could see that making for good hipster clothing. I don’t know if a 43-year-old hipster is a good thing. I dress in whatever I see that I like.