The Principle Gallery Inc

What The Principle Gallery Inc does

The Principle Gallery Inc is a privately held, owner-operated fine art gallery founded in 1994 by Michele Marceau in Alexandria, Virginia. The gallery specializes in Contemporary Realism, offering original oil paintings, bronze sculptures, and watercolor works created by a roster of more than 60 represented artists. The business expanded its footprint with a second location in Charleston, South Carolina, and serves individual collectors, interior designers, and corporate buyers seeking representational fine art in a price range from approximately $400 to $165,000 per work.

The gallery operates a direct-to-consumer retail model through its two physical showrooms and participation in regional art fairs, with a supplemental digital presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Revenue is generated through primary market sales of artwork, structured on a commission basis with represented artists (industry-standard 50/50 split). The owner-operated business maintains a small staff of approximately 9 employees split between the Alexandria and Charleston locations, and has extended its offering to include appraisal services and ancillary art services as secondary revenue lines.

The pricing model spans entry-level works at $400 to blue-chip primary market pieces at $165,000, indicating a tiered approach that broadens the buyer base without diluting the premium Contemporary Realism positioning. The business has no technology platform, no disclosed external funding, and no franchising or licensing model — it is a single-operator retail art business scaling modestly through geographic reach and artist roster depth.

Name

The Principle Gallery Inc

Legal name

The Principle Gallery Inc

Website

https://principlegallery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Principle Gallery Inc is a privately held fine art gallery founded in 1994, operating two locations in Alexandria, VA and Charleston, SC. It specializes in Contemporary Realism, representing 60+ artists and selling original oil paintings, bronze sculptures, and watercolors to collectors and designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Art Gallery

NAICS

Art Dealers (459920), Art Dealers (45992)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary realism art
• Fine art gallery
• Artist representation
• Oil painting sales
• Bronze sculpture

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Art Sales and Commissions: The gallery generates revenue through the sale of original artwork including oil paintings and bronze sculptures from its represented artists. The gallery operates on a commission basis typical of art galleries, representing emerging, mid-career, and established artists with distinct personal approaches to Contemporary Realism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Principle Gallery is a contemporary realism art gallery founded in 1994, operating brick-and-mortar locations in Alexandria, VA and Charleston, SC. The gallery represents a roster of more than 60 living artists and sells original oil paintings, bronze sculptures, drawings, and limited-edition prints directly to collectors. It also participates in national fine art fairs and provides art consultation and appraisal services for individual and corporate collectors.

Product overview

The Principle Gallery Inc operates as a fine art gallery representing Contemporary Realism artists, functioning as a dual-location business with Principle Gallery Alexandria (opened 1994) and Principle Gallery Charleston. The gallery represents emerging, mid-career, and established artists specializing in oil paintings, watercolor works, and bronze sculpture. The product offering consists of two physical gallery locations offering artist representation, artwork sales, appraisal services, and art services. The galleries gain exposure for artists through solo exhibitions, selective group shows, and national art fairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Principle Gallery Alexandria Physical retail gallery in Alexandria, VA displaying and selling original contemporary realist paintings, bronze sculptures, drawings, and limited-edition prints from the gallery's roster of 60+ artists. Open to the public and serves individual collectors, interior designers, and corporate buyers.
• Principle Gallery Charleston Second brick-and-mortar gallery location in Charleston, SC, operating the same model as the Alexandria flagship — exhibiting and selling original contemporary realist artwork from represented artists. Extends access for collectors in the Carolinas and broader Southeast.
• Artist Representation

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PrincipleGalleryCharleston
• Instagraminstagram.com/principle_charleston
• Pinterestpinterest.com/principle_chs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/principle-gallery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Principle Gallery Inc