When Julie Walsh moved from the Fine Arts Building to the West Loop, there was only one other gallery in the area (the Peter Miller Gallery), but she was impressed with the draw of international clients, sophistication of people nearby and potential for growth. She reconfigures the space with each exhibit to reflect the art shown, causing some visitors to wonder if they are in the same gallery. A cover of "Gallery News" showed Walsh and her baby in a blur, a "good picture of me and my life, because having three kids and a gallery" makes for a life in constant motion.

Julie Walsh traveled with her husband to Shanghai in 1986 to teach English, fell in love with the country and began studying traditional Chinese painting. Though she had never taken her painting seriously, she was so happy doing it that when she returned to the U.S., she left her profession as a psychologist and eventually started her gallery to challenge people's ideas of Asian and Chinese art. She admires the beauty in Chinese painting, appearing spontaneous but reflecting the trials and thought processes of getting the piece right. There's a "contrast between control, rules, the ways of doing things and complete freedom."

Centerstage Reviewer: Chris Benevich