Tara Maguire had never seriously created art until 2017, when she went to an art class at Woodmere with her mother, philanthropist and artist Frances (Frannie) Maguire. At the class, Maguire realized she had a knack for painting.

When her mother — for whom Woodmere’s Frances M. Maguire Hall for Art & Education is named — passed away in 2020, Maguire’s relationship with art became all the more special.

“My mom’s talent and passion was for art,” Maguire said. “I think she literally gave that to me in her last days. … It’s just this connection we have, my mom and I. Anytime I pick up a paintbrush, it’s like I can feel any message she’s ever given me.”

Maguire continued focusing on her artwork and, eventually, she had the idea to open up a gallery. Maguire Contemporary, located at 8236 Germantown Ave. in Chestnut Hill, celebrated its grand opening on Sept. 16 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A varied career

Maguire was raised in Wyndmoor as the youngest of eight children. She attended Springfield Township High School and called Chestnut Hill her “stomping ground.” Growing up, Maguire’s main focus was playing field hockey. She became captain of the team at Penn State and went on to play with the U.S. Olympic team.

She earned her degree in kinesiology, before following with an MBA and a master’s degree in psychology. She worked for her father, philanthropist James Maguire, at an insurance company and later as a play therapist with kids. Maguire also coached field hockey, a sport that she says is “always in my blood.”

“I’m always wanting to learn,” Maguire said, referring to her various degrees and career endeavors.

Maguire even went to medical school in Antigua for one semester, but decided to return to the United States when her mother got sick with Alzheimer’s disease.

“She needed someone to be with her,” Maguire said. “It’s just a scary disease and I wanted to be there for her.”

Honing her skills

Not long after Maguire began to paint in 2017, she received her first commissions from her sister’s friend and her cousin. The more she worked on her skills, the better she became as an artist.

“Anything that makes me feel happy or loved or inspired, anything positive, I paint,” Maguire said. “There’s a story to every piece. I could go through every single one of my paintings and tell you the story and where I was and why I did it and what it means to me.”

Earlier this year, Maguire was living in Arizona when she made the decision to open an art gallery. Having the location in Chestnut Hill made perfect sense.

“Let’s do it in my hometown because this is where Mom has the Frannie Maguire Hall at Woodmere and this is where my dad is,” Maguire said. “I decided to just go for it. I came home and literally jumped right in.”

Maguire rented the space in April and returned to Pennsylvania in July. She hired Noelle DeSantis and Amir Lyles to help with the project and the team got to work on designing the gallery.

Giving artists their due

According to the gallery’s website, Maguire Contemporary is “a love letter to artists, where they exhibit at a nominal rate, and learn the ropes to become commercial. [It is] a confluence point of patrons and philanthropists, creatives, tastemakers, and curators.”

Maguire Contemporary takes only 10% commission. This was an important factor for Maguire in founding the gallery.

“We work off a philanthropic business set-up where yes, we’re going to make a little bit of money, but we’re also wanting to give the artists their due,” Maguire said. “I just want to raise each other up, raise other artists up, and not make it so cutthroat. Let’s work together.”

As part of Maguire’s vision for the gallery, in addition to established artists, she also plans to invite “future artists” — high school students — to exhibit their art. She also intends to host workshops for artists looking to better market their work.

Ann Nevel, retail advocate for the Chestnut Hill Business District, said the gallery is a “fresh and exciting” addition to the avenue, and noted that the business model will help local artists.

“Tara’s creativity comes through not only in her artwork, but in the way she has envisioned Maguire Contemporary,” Nevel said. “She’s creating a space where both working artists and students can have the experience of launching and managing their own exhibitions. With a nominal gallery commission, artists can put more of their earnings back into creating new work, while also gaining valuable experience with the business side of the profession.”

As for the grand opening on Sept. 16, Maguire said it was “everything and more.” She sold several paintings and enjoyed the company of her family and friends. Maguire said it was especially nice to have her father there to celebrate and honor her mother’s legacy.

On the Maguire Contemporary website, Maguire inserted a quote shows the importance of art in her family: “It started with Frannie Maguire saying anyone can make art. Now, Tara Maguire says anyone can sell art.”

Maguire Contemporary is located at 8236 Germantown Ave. Learn more at maguirecontemporary.com.

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.