Bonnie Reavis is a powerhouse of a woman. Smart, sassy, with an amazing eye, and passion for her community. Bonnie has owned a marketing and design firm for over 20 years, owns an event venue and an art gallery on the Historic Marietta Square, and is the Chair of the Marietta Arts Council. She is a member of the 2010 class and the 2015 Chair for Leadership Cobb with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
What makes Bonnie a great woman, though, is her heart. Being in her corner means she will always have your back and make you a better person through her encouragement and trust. Even through the tough times, she is incredibly strong, and can find the joke to inject some levity into a moment. She loves her family and “chosen family” fiercely, and I count myself lucky to have her as a mentor in my life.
I met Bonnie years ago when I was a pre-teen, and helped care for her son at our church daycare. I reconnected with her after graduating college, as I was looking to make a shift in my career. She had just agreed to take on an inaugural public arts festival in Marietta. My mom and I jumped right in to help make this happen, as we had wanted to see public arts develop in our area for a long time. Clearly something I did while helping with the festival caught Bonnie’s attention, as she brought me on as a gallery assistant shortly after. She entrusted me with getting our gallery’s footing in Marietta, and we opened The Loft later that year.
Since the Loft's opening, Bonnie has given me more and more responsibility. I am working directly with our artists, marketing, developing and curating our monthly exhibitions. It all works because of our mutual respect for each other. That trust has allowed me to grow as the director of the gallery, and we have brought in new and unique artwork for the local community. I’ll always be grateful for these opportunities and to call Bonnie my friend.