About Our Mascot

About Our Mascot:

Welcome to our About Us Page. We want you to get to know us better. Read on about Mirabelle, our adorable and adventurous mascot; and about Detail Gallery and how this all got started. COME ON IN!

Michael and Tom

	Mirabelle I never had an idea when that small five pound bundle of fur came into my life she would help direct my future path. Mirabelle was a Christmas gift from my business partner Tom. I remember the call. He knew I wanted a third dog and found her looking in the Washington Post online ads. He called and said " Are you sure you want to do this?" From that point on there was no turning back. Having the luck to own a business where I could bring my dog with me everyday and her being a new puppy it was the perfect blend. One day I had to come up with an ad for a local publication and Mirabelle came into sights. I sat her in a gallery chair and snapped away. She thought she was being punished and after about 50 shots her ears stood up again and I got what I needed. Little did I know the reaction we would receive to that one small dog. People started stopping in and asking about her. I recognized the power of those five pounds. As a child my favorite book was One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith and my favorite part was the twilight barking. Pongo and Misses would gather at the edge of town and talk to the other dogs across England trying to find the missing pups. That point more than anything in the book ignited my young imagination and now my old imagination. What lives do our pets lead separate from us? I would watch Mirabelle do something as simple as chase a leaf in happiness and I would wonder what she saw through her eyes that brought such delight. Being an artist that loves collage and having a somewhat willing subject I started to explore that idea. Tom and I have both always felt the importance of animals in our lives and how they enrich us. So as Mirabelle's fan base grew and my ideas grew she went on to become the face of our gallery and embody the delight and joy we tried to express through Detail Gallery. Mirabelle became to me a symbol about believing in yourself. This one small dog seemed to have the power to capture the hearts of a lot of strangers who grew over time to be regular customers and some true friends. It is not easy trying to do something new and different and not everyone gets why I spend so much time and energy doing what I do. But I have grown to believe in the power of doing what you love and the path that can take you on. I am excited about the journey we are taking. So I ask...What does your dog do when you are away? Mine goes on adventures!
	Detail Gallery Detail Gallery opened in April of 2006 and was years in the making by the creative team of Michael Muller and Tom Boeke. The gallery reflected their design aesthetic and taste in artwork and home decor, bringing in artistic elements and touches that focus on the “details” to create and shape the home environment. The concept of the store was to introduce the customer to how artwork can be creatively displayed in a home setting. It transported artwork out the sterile “white-wall” gallery environment and placed it in the home. Each area in the gallery represented a room in the home; including the living room, bedroom, kitchen, bath, library, pet and garden areas. It suggested that art and great design can be found in our homes, in our everyday objects and part of our everyday lives. The artwork displayed throughout the store was an eclectic mix of paintings, photography, collage and mixed media pieces. The artwork was fun, eclectic, unique and affordable, equally accessible to customers just piquing an interest in art to customers with established art collections. There was a wide variety of artist styles and price points to match everyone’s taste and budget. When Mirabelle joined the Detail family on Christmas of 2006, she became “the gallery mascot” and was a instant hit with the customers. She embodied the joy and positive energy of the business, and became the recognizable marketing brand for the gallery. The natural extension was to produce and develop a line of cards and prints with Mirabelle’s image. She soon became the inspiration for a children’s book concept, and “The Adventures of Mirabelle” was born! Over the last 3 years, Mirabelle inspired the development of a variety of products, which were sold successfully in the Gallery and on our retail website. The future involves developing the Mirabelle wholesale business to bring her joy and these products to a wider audience. Tom and Michael