Her antique business was created out of her love of travel. She is not an artist herself, but she has always had an interest in and love for art. While she grew up in the Mississippi Delta, Guion is originally from North Carolina. A big fan of music, Guion loves to make time for live music. Her favorite aspect of her business is meeting new people and educating them on the history of the pieces.
Combining her love of travel and art, Anne Guion turned her hobbies into a career with St. Martin’s Gallery.
Guion has been in the antique business for 23 years. St. Martin’s Gallery was originally opened in Fondren but closed at the end of 2018.
“I thought I would take a break from it,” Guion said.
But she couldn’t stay away long, so a few months after that she decided to open another shop on a smaller scale.
When a space became available at LeFleur’s Gallery, Guion took the leap and reopened in May 2019.
Guion graduated from Mississippi University for Women with a degree in fashion merchandising with an emphasis in business.
“For years I have been interested in antiques,” she said. “I’ve really been interested in European things, and we really didn’t have a big exposure to them in Jackson.”
Her love of European pieces began during a trip she took as a teenager.
“When I was in high school, I went to Europe for the first time on an art and architecture tour,” she said. “I went on a five-week trip that went to all major art galleries and covered a lot of countries.”
That trip sparked her interest in French and English furniture.
“I started looking at every book I could get my hands on,” Guion said.
Years later, at a cocktail party with friends, the idea for her business came up.
“Somebody commented on some antiques in my home, and I remember saying I would really like to start a shop one day,” Guion said. “The problem is that I’m interested in European pieces, and you can’t do it in a small way.”
And St. Martin’s Gallery was born. She began taking trips to Europe and shipping pieces back to sell. At St. Martin’s Gallery, the focus is on period furniture.
“The word period means when the style first was made,” Guion said. “We are a bit different in that we sell earlier things. More 18th and 19th century things. We sell truly things that were made as one-off pieces for people.”
Guion only purchases pieces that are in good shape and unaltered.
“I like original painted pieces,” Guion said. “We also offer a variety of different woods.”
The store is also stocked with lamps and accessories, in addition to a large collection of majolica and blue and white pottery.
Guion is well versed in the history of the pieces and the styles she carries and takes the time to walk her customers through these things. She can even teach customers how to spot fake majolica.
Her favorite time period for furniture is between 1780 to 1820.
“No matter what country it is,” she said of that period. “The styles transition across the world, because the world leaders set the trends.”
