Jennifer Williams, owner of Jennifer’s Boutique in Fort Myers. -COURTESY PHOTO

Inside Jennifer’s Boutique. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY

Jennifer’s Boutique is marking 43 years of being a home to the women of Fort Myers, a place to shop and try out various new styles. To celebrate the achievement, the boutique will host a “Art of a Woman” exhibit Nov. 14–20.

The exhibit will feature multiple local artists, including works by Joanne Bedient, Juli Bobman, Tracy Owen-Cullimore and Nikki Taylor, who each bring a creative style to the boutique.

Jennifer Williams started the store in 1983 and, since then, has given women a voice to express themselves through fashion and created a social space for many.

“Our first Art of a Woman exhibit, and it had just been brought to my attention that we had a lot of clients who were artists with different mediums. And I thought, ‘Wow, you know, wouldn’t it be neat to showcase these women?’ And it was really well received over the years,” said Williams.

Artists like Mel Meo and Leoma Lovegrove have taken part in the exhibit. As the boutique develops, Williams plans to continue expanding the store and bringing in more local artists to tell their stories.

Explore a wide variety of shoes, bags and more at the boutique. -DAVID WISHTISCHIN / FLORIDA WEEKLY

“It was an opportunity to showcase a different type of art. For me, clothing is art and creative. And these other women are artists in a different medium,” Williams said. “We always celebrate our anniversary in November and do some kind of party or event. And I just thought it would kind of be a nice thing to join with the artists, again.”

With several women showcasing their work, selecting who would be in the exhibit was a challenge. Williams looked to the community and wanted to highlight diverse creativity.

“I like to pick women that are kind of true to their craft. There are a lot of great people that are doing a lot of great painting that maybe take it up later in life, and there are no bad artists, in my opinion, but these are women who have really kind of honed their craft over a period of time,” Williams said.

Williams has been proud to use the boutique to help out the community in Fort Myers and give back to charities in the area.

“I have been really blessed as a person, as a business owner, because we’re starting 43 years in November, and that’s almost unheard of,” Williams said.”I’ve always had amazing customer support. And we do a lot of charity events, and our customers always come out and support those, those events and those causes, which I tend to pick, again, kind of more on a personal level.”

As the boutique continues to grow, Williams looks back on all the customers who have contributed to the store’s success.

“On a busy day, when I look around and I see the clients, I see the store filled with clients that are so supportive,” Williams said. “I’m just so humbled to think, ‘Wow, they could shop anywhere. They could buy clothes on Amazon; you can go to, you know, Walmart or Macy’s —you can go anywhere. But they continually support me and my store.’”

Meet the artists

Jennifer’s Boutique has given the rundown of the artists that visitors can experience when checking out the exhibit including:

Joanne Bedient

“Growing up in the mountains of Virginia, Joanne Bedient’s artistic journey began when her mother encouraged her to “go make something.” After earning her degree in ceramics with a minor in painting from Fort Hays State University, she discovered the ancient Japanese art of Raku firing and made it her primary medium for nearly three decades. Known for her bold colors and black-and-white patterns, Joanne’s hand-built clay works — including her whimsical and widely recognized clay shoes — reveal her love of experimentation and rule-breaking creativity. In recent years, she’s expanded her expression through monoprinting, often combining clay and printmaking in unexpected ways.”

JoAnne Bedient. -COURTESY PHOTO

Pear Naked Lady, by Joanne Bedient. -COURTESY PHOTO

Juli Bobman

Juli Bobman’s artwork. -COURTESY PHOTO

“A Fort Myers native who grew up on the beaches of Sanibel, Juli Bobman brings a deep connection to nature, the cosmos, and the feminine spirit to her work. A graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design (1986), where she studied fine art and graphic design with a minor in printmaking, Juli has devoted her life to exploring how art reflects the cycles of life. Her series Moon–Womb–Bloom and Lunation weave together themes of astrology, astronomy, geometry, and Kabbalah—expressing the mystical connection between the moon’s phases and the rhythms of womanhood.

Juli’s paintings embody both the tangible and the transcendent, translating universal patterns into layered visual stories that honor the Divine Feminine. She shares her expertise through life drawing sessions at the Alliance for the Arts and teaches drawing classes at Shell Point Community. Whether painting, teaching, or observing the night sky, Juli continues to explore how time, energy, and emotion find expression in form and color.”

She started her art journey from a young age and was inspired by illustrators creations in her favorite books.

“I’ve been an artist since my earliest memories. I always had a crayon, paintbrush and pencil in hand. From childhood, I was deeply inspired by children’s book illustrators: Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth, Lewis Carroll and then later on, artists like Francisco Goya and Salvador Dalí,” Bobman said. “I was really fortunate to have parents who encouraged the arts. My mom always had me involved with summer art programs, everything from weaving textiles to pottery, jewelry making, but my favorite was drawing. In high school, I was very involved in the arts. I worked on the school paper and yearbook, doing paste-ups and drawing illustrations for ads. After high school, I attended and graduated from Ringling College of Art.

Having grown up in Fort Myers, she visited Jennifer’s Boutique shortly after it had opened. Since then, she has fell in love with the community built around the store and looks forward to being able to showcase her art there.

“My art is basically the playground that exists inside my brain, it’s very than Disney. It keeps me up at night, always thinking, experimenting,” Bobman said. “It is an absolute blessing that brings me closer to the Creator; perhaps my art is a download from the universe and I am just the messenger.”

Tracy Cullimore, one of the artists participating in the Art of a Woman exhibit, with her artwork. -COURTESY PHOTO

Tracy Owen-Cullimore (“Artsy Tracy”)

“Accomplished fine art painter Tracy Owen-Cullimore, known to many as Artsy Tracy, says, “I can’t wait to get to work in the morning—or the wee hours of the night.” Working in both water media and oil, Tracy specializes in figurative work and portraits of animals and people. “I know I’ve succeeded when my clients get tears in their eyes, so I guess I like to make people cry,” she adds with a smile.

Ever since she was young, she knew her destiny was to become an artist and showcase her work to the community.

“I knew when I was three years old, I might be an artist. Knew it,” Owen-Cullimore states.

Owen-Cullimore enjoys creating beautiful portraits of various animals and people that leave viewers speechless.

“I had to paint everybody’s stuff for them all the way up through school, all the murals for school, all the sets for the plays,” Owne Cullimore said. “And then I moved into my friends getting married and having babies, so I started painting their children for them.”

Her paintings bridge realism and impressionism, capturing her subjects’ essence with expressive brushwork and emotional resonance. A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a B.A. in Liberal Arts emphasizing Art History and Economics, Tracy has spent her life studying with modern masters and painting daily. A Signature Member of the Florida Watercolor Society, her award-winning work has been featured in solo and invitational shows nationwide and is part of private collections across the U.S., Canada and Europe.”

Nikki Taylor

Nikki Taylor. -COURTESY PHOTO

“Florida-born artist Nikki Taylor holds a fascination for the simplicity of a pen — transforming this basic tool into intricate works of art with depth, emotion, and story. Drawing inspiration from her life on Caribbean islands and her experiences as a divemaster with more than 600 dives around the world, Nikki’s art reflects the wonders of the ocean and the spirit of exploration. Originally trained in neuroscience, she traded medical studies for art, photography, and a life dedicated to capturing the beauty of the underwater world. Her work invites viewers to look closer — to see both the detail and the mystery beneath the surface.

With the exhibit opening up, Williams is excited to have visitors check out the store and see all the hard work women in the community have done.

“I am so excited about Art of a Woman, because it gives us a chance to honor women whose creativity inspires others,” said Williams. “Each artist brings her own story, emotion and strength to her work. The exhibit reminds us that art and fashion share a common language — both are expressions of individuality, beauty and confidence.”

The exhibit is free and open to the public, and all items are available for purchase. Jennifer’s is located at 13251 Suite 111-1 McGregor Boulevard in The Design Center, and is open Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nikki Taylor’s artwork. -COURTESY PHOTO