Chapin’s Palmetto Fine Arts, LLC, owned and operated by Thomas “TC” Bowers was launched in 2004 to support the growing need for art and custom picture frames in Chapin and adjacent areas. The gallery does all its work on-site, and every frame is cut, joined, and assembled in-house.
TC believes pretty much anything can be framed. He has even framed a stapler, his longtime tool of the trade. Born and raised in Little Mountain, TC was the son of a carpenter who instilled a love of woodworking. TC loved working around his father’s tools and making things.
His mom purchased his first piece of art for him from the flea market at age 12. When the seller became a close family friend, TC helped him open up his first gallery, where he learned the art of framing. When the owner decided to sell the business, 19-year-old TC bought it. “We were there at the right time to make it all happen and it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” he said. TC knew a nine-to-five office job wasn’t for him. In framing, however, he might do the same thing repeatedly, but he would get a different result each time. It was the right choice. His business celebrated its 20th anniversary this past March. He still does the same thing with a different result, just as he likes it.
Palmetto Fine Arts is not a typical gallery, it specializes in artisan-made items. Artwork lines the walls, and over 40 local artists, original paintings and prints, photography, pottery, a wood turner, and a craftsman who makes lamps out of found objects comprise the framework of their gallery. They sell truly distinctive, one-of-a-kind products.
Mrs. Sandra, the mother of his childhood friend, has worked at the gallery for ten years. She works at the front counter, helps design the frames, and ties everything together. Mrs. Kari, their social media specialist, works alongside them in the store. TC aptly calls them his “winning staff.”
TC met his wife Shannon in high school, where she played the flute, and he played the saxophone in their school band. Their nine-year-old son, Owen, “a ball of energy,” plays soccer. Like his dad, Owen likes playing with all the machines in the frame shop. There may be a future there.
With what spare time he does have, TC enjoys being outside and working in the yard or at his property in Prosperity.
He describes his work as a fun job, and he enjoys what he does. “It’s fun hearing the stories about the things people bring in. Like anything in life, you get out of it what you put into it,” he said. For now, TC plans to continue what they’re doing. He describes Chapin as a philanthropic town. His business gives to various charities, one of the things that makes Chapin unique. TC strongly believes that whatever he can do to help their local artists thrive and flourish is what they are there for.
He shared, “It is such a small town. Everybody knows everybody. If you’re there for you, you’re there for the wrong reasons. It’s a fun town, and we love it. We get to meet a lot of fun people. But you’ve got to stay small.”