City Center Gallery & Books

In 1995, we met Bob Rector for the first time in a coffee shop in downtown Fayetteville, NC. In our group that night was artist Becky Lee, who was anxious to introduce us to him. We learned a lot that night about the life of a commercial artist in Detroit in the 50's and 60's, his travails trying to make it after that in the real art world in California, and about the colorful characters he met along the way. Later, Bob was persuaded to show us some of his paintings of classic automobiles and racing cars. These he kept in the trunk of his old, beat up Volvo. Incredible life-like images created by this man with the tip of his brush held us in thrall. Soon after, we commissioned Bob to do a portrait of Hank's ' 84 Olds convertible. Later, friends and associates were commissioning Bob for portraits of their cars or children or pets. In 1999, City Center Gallery was founded to display and sell Bob Rector's incredible likenesses. City Center Gallery & Books grew out of our love of art and our love of Fayetteville. This town of nearly 300, 000 in southeastern North Carolina has been home since 1982. It was chartered in 1783 when the Scottish settlements of Campbellton and Cross Creek along the Cape Fear River merged. Fayetteville was actually the state capital between 1788 and 1793 and she has a long and storied past. In this century, however, downtown Fayetteville fell victim to the surburbanization of America in the 1960's and 70's. Fortunately, she has wakened from her slumbers after nearly 30 years of neglect. Many beautiful old buildings -- most constructed in the late 1800's -- have been restored and converted into law offices, coffee houses, retail spaces, and loft apartments. The Arts Center and several galleries including our own have sprung up in the Arts Corridor along Maxwell Street in the middle of downtown. Several government offices and the Chamber of Commerce are relocating downtown, too. The 65, 000 square foot Airborne and Special Operations Museum opened in 2000 and is drawing many thousands of tourists each year. Our gallery offers limited editions and posters of Bob Rector's magnificent World War II airplanes. So, welcome to City Center Gallery & Books. Our gallery houses the works of Bob Rector as well as a variety of Fayetteville artists.