Graig Johnigean owns Limited Edition Gallery in Neptune Beach, which originally opened in 2013. The former Jacksonville University football player had a unique path to the art world, but always knew deep down that he had a passion for the creativity and emotion that a piece of artwork can convey. His collection specializes in pop art, and he takes pride in bringing a certain unique flair and approach to the art scene in the Northeast Florida area.
Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
Was born and raised in Jacksonville and grew up in Deerwood.
I was the kid growing up that would always get in trouble for drawing during class.
I have been collecting from local artists since I bought my first big piece in 2003.
Then in 2013 we started Limited Edition Gallery, which is when I started selling and getting commission pieces and not just collecting.
We first opened in San Marco but then moved to the Neptune Beach location in March, and we’ve got more than 120 pieces of art in a building that’s a little less than 2,000 square feet, so we’re already looking for a bigger space because I have another 200 to 300 pieces in storage still.
We’re looking at places down in the Ponte Vedra area. The goal is definitely to have as little in storage as possible one day.
What kind of art do primarily collect?
It’s interesting because I’ve noticed a change over the years.
At first I was buying drawings and other smaller pieces, then I focused on oil paintings but now it seems like pretty much everything in the gallery right now is pop art and avant-garde.
My approach is simple and difficult at the same time.
My eye just gets stuck on something, and I can’t get it out of my mind. One hundred percent of what I have here (in collection) is what I have had to have.
Pop art seems like a unique form of art, what draws you to it?
Art is just one of those things that provokes emotion and connects people like nothing else.
This is what the art I collection does for me and I hope it can do that same for others as well.
It’s very humbling to have people see the collection and go on about the pieces and how it all comes together for them.
I’ve been told that ‘I’ve brought Miami to Jacksonville, which is where Art Basel is and we’ve been down there before.
Not many collections are like this around this area and we’re proud that we can introduce and bring a whole new look to the art world with what we do.
Have you always had a passion for art?
It was always something tugging at me in the back of my mind, and it got to the point where I just couldn’t go a day without thinking about it.
But I was 6-foot-2 and 300 pounds by the eighth grade so I tended to shift my focus to sports and actually played college football at Jacksonville University.
However, after college I owned a restaurant and got involved in a jewelry business and it just got to where the call to the art world just got too great to ignore any longer.
It ended up leading me to partner with my friends, Tucker Blanton and Kramer Leitman to open up Limited Edition Gallery.
We all grew up in Jacksonville and went to Providence High.
I would just always tell people to always pay attention and do your best in school, but make sure to never kill your creativity, becasue it is what makes you who you are.
It seems like you do a lot to get involved with the community? Can you talk about that?
I’ve become good friends with the owner of the Jax Sports Car Museum, so we’ve partnered to do an event where he brought over some cars, and we had a showing of cars and art. It was a great mix.
We’ve also held a pickleball tournament and we’re in the works on another event, kind of like a cars and coffee theme where it will be a car/art show with brunch to go with it.
I just love the local art community and it's a dream to be such a part of it like we are.
