MODERN COUNTRY Boutique & Gallery

LEON the Llama

Austin Artist: Rachel Brown

Christopher Wayne Brown

Born August 28, 1965, Christopher Brown was raised in Paris, Texas.

Christopher studied art all through grade school and all through high school, and he was later granted art scholarships at Paris Junior College and Sam Houston State University. He earned his degree in what is now called Creative Direction from Art Center, in Pasadena CA.

Right out of Art School, Mr. Brown moved back to Dallas where he was employed by ClubCorp, the countries largest of it’s kind. The company founded by Robert H. Dedman, owned, managed Country Clubs, City Clubs, and resorts all over the world.  Although he was working in their corporate marketing department, Chris found himself selling his artwork to their Art buyer and owner’s wife Nancy Dedman which was selected and place placed in the properties throughout the world such as downtown Los Angeles and Beijing, China. The company has since been sold, but his work remains in the companies permanent collection.

In 1999, Christopher left ClubCorp, and opened up an Antique Mall in Dallas’ design district with him mom called Liberty & Son. Their business was often recognized in D Home Magazine and Better Homes and Garden. 

In 2005, Chris left the antique business and started a floral design business out of his garage in the Lakewood area of Dallas.  Within two months Chris was discovered by D Magazine and was awarded in their August BEST OF DALLAS issue “Best Floral Designer”.  Holding on to his Fine Artist background, Mr. Brown  also opened up his first art gallery on the square in downtown Paris during the same time. Because of the demand for him to keep up with the floral design business, he closed the gallery in Paris after 2 years.

Christopher had an incredible run in the floral design industry and after 14 years he decided he had had enough.

He sold the business and moved to Portland, OR. Were he began the path to returning back to his art.  From there moved to Los Angeles but still struggled to find a steady market for his work. 

In 2019, he moved back to Texas to be near his mom due to her health issues and found himself in beginning his new life as an artist on Lake Winnsboro. Creating art during the pandemic, through social media and posting his work, Christopher began building a following and started selling his work online.  The demand of his work continued to grow and he knew it was time to open Modern Country Design and Art Gallery in March of 2021. 

This year he unifies his business partnership with the owner of The Bowery Boutique, Becky Wilbanks. This new venture combines their already adjacent businesses, creating a lifestyle retail space of home decor, art, women and men’s apparel and gifts and both fresh cut flowers and a decorate your own hat bar. The newly rebranded store is called MODERN COUNTRY LIVING.

Chris remains passionate about his purpose in Winnsboro, Texas where he  understands the importance of staying 

involved in the art community, but more importantly inspiring others to do the same.


Modern
Country
Gallery
Christopher
Wayne
Brown
Modern
Country
Art

215 North Franklin, Winnsboro Texas

Wednesday through Friday 11am to 5pm & Saturdays 11am to 4pm
Modern Country Gallery, Chris Brown 

Within the East Texas town of Winnsboro, people who pass through and those who live here and vacation in the area are impressed by the wide variety of opportunities for relaxation, dining, and finding hidden treasures within.
One of the newer hidden treasures that is a must see and visit is Modern Country Art and Design Gallery. The owner, Chris Brown, will almost always be there when you drop by, personally welcoming you with his friendly smile and genuine willingness to accommodate  your questions. Chris is a people person. He cares about the community and each person wo comes in to see the wide range of art that he has available on display.
You will be exposed to a wide range of diversity as to styles, mediums, and an explosion of color that is present in this place that makes the art seem alive. Chris’ belief is that each piece of art one encounters is a personal outlet of expression through any medium one chooses to use and has connected with creatively and spiritually. Art has no boundaries.
While visiting the gallery, one will encounter abstract, contemporary, and traditional styles in mediums of oil, acrylic, glass, porcelain, wood and fiber in paintings, sculpture, and assemblage pieces. This diversity is brought about by Chris’ concept he has for his location.
His main focuses are hanging contemporary artwork in a cultural arts community from artists all over.
He started this gallery with his work and that of friends and artists that he feels a connection to their artwork and that fits the aesthetic tastes of the gallery and the local landscape. He continues to expand and rotate the works within the gallery as new artists’ pieces are brought in and introduced to the gallery and the community.
While Chris has been involved in the art world since the mid 1980’s he tends to focus on the gallery, the people that are involved in its makeup, and the people who walk through his door repeatedly or for the first time. Having been an art student (and going to college on an art scholarship), he has a keen interest in including art students from local schools, as well as displaying their art on occasion. This is done to show students it is possible for their work to get exposure to the public and to educate them as well as the general public to the importance of the arts in every community, both large and small.
Chris’ art has been on display across the globe. He has had showings in Dallas, Portland, Provincetown, and Los Angeles as well as previously owning a gallery in his hometown of Paris, Texas.
While Chris spends most of his creative time at the house he resides in on the shore of Lake Winnsboro, you will find him in the gallery Wednesday through Saturday from 11 to 4.
The pieces on display by him and various artists are, of course, for sale, but his biggest focus is for as many people as possible to come in and view what’s on display. Perhaps you are someone who once painted and laid your brush down for good. A visit here may inspire you to pick it up again and create. That is his wish and his goal.

Steven Neal, Contributing Writer for Piney Woods Life
July 1, 2022
Modern Country Art and Design Gallery
215 North Franklin
Winnsboro, TX  75494
Open 11 am – 4 pm
Wednesday through Saturday, or open by appointment