Cove Gallery and Boutique Is Our November 2026 Business of the Month

Craig Wallace met Kelly through Dr. John Plumley of South Bradenton Dental Care. Not long after, he stopped by Cove Gallery & Boutique, her shop on Bridge Street in Bradenton Beach, and he still talks about that first visit.

"When I first walked into her store, the energy in there was just so good," Craig says.

That was almost a year ago. We've been working with Kelly ever since, and this month we get to celebrate Kelly and everything she's put into Cove. Cove Gallery & Boutique is the Top Recommends November Business of the Month.

The energy starts with Kelly

Ask Craig what makes Cove special and he'll point straight at the owner. "Her personality is really, really positive all the time," he says. "She's got great energy that is contagious."

Even on the days when the average person might be negative, or cynical, or just having a bad day, Craig says Kelly still gives out positive energy. It rubs off on her customers, too. Cove holds a perfect 5.0-star rating on Google.

A someday dream on Bridge Street

Kelly was born and raised in Sarasota, and she's an artist herself. She always dreamed of living simply as an artist. With support from her family and friends, that dream became Cove Gallery & Boutique, a place where she shares her own work right next to the work of other local artists.

It took a while to get there. Kelly calls Cove "a someday dream," pieced together from years spent in crystal shops, island galleries, and studios. She doesn't pretend the road was smooth, either. She thanks the people who supported and challenged her along the way, "as I've stumbled, climbed, cried, and laughed."

The artists at Cove are family

"It's not just a store for her, it's a community," Craig says. "It's a place where you don't feel any stress."

A big part of that community is the artists. Cove carries original work from more than 25 local artists, all people who live and work on and around Anna Maria Island. Kelly is quick to give them the credit. "To the artists who pour their time, talent, and heart into this space, I can't do it without you," she says.

She has a line she uses to sum up the shop: "I always say Cove is filled with things I love, made by people I love."

Shoppers pick up on that. They say the selection and variety from Cove's artists is impressive, and one said you can tell from the moment you walk in that these artists and creators truly care about their community. Another said, "Everything has been created with love and passion."

For a local artist, a spot on Bridge Street means people see your work every day. Cove gives more than 25 of them that spot. Kelly gives them a family to go with it. And since every purchase at Cove supports a working artist, whatever you take home helps someone who makes things right here.

What you'll find at Cove

Cove is part gallery, part boutique. The gallery side has original paintings, photography, ceramics, glass, and one-of-a-kind jewelry. The boutique side has crystals, books, cards, apparel, and small coastal treasures, each one picked because it sparks curiosity or brings someone joy.

"It's not like any other beachy shop," one shopper said. "It has genuine art and natural elements that inspire the soul." Another kept it short: "No throw away souvenirs here!"

A visitor from New York, in town to see her mom, put it this way: "I knew I was in trouble." She left with beautiful jewelry and a cute sweater. One more shopper decided she wanted a pair of sweatpants after she'd already left the store. She reached out, and Cove took care of the order for her.

A place to slow down

Kelly describes Cove as a shop, a gallery, and a place to slow down for a few minutes. That lines up with what Craig noticed about it being a place where you don't feel any stress.

The idea carries over online. Cove's website has a free 60-second breathing practice called A Minute of Peace. You breathe along as the page scrolls, then add your minute to what Cove calls its "collective ripple of good." Kelly also shares her own writing on The Current, the shop's blog, from essays like "Living Inside the Yes" to a poem called "An Artist's Modern Day Hope."

Kelly shows up for the island

Kelly doesn't keep to her own shop. She's involved with AMI South End, and Craig says she likes to get involved in the community around her. It's right there in her title on Cove's website: founder, artist, community builder.

Top Recommends was built around people who show up for their neighbors and lift up the folks around them. Kelly is one of them.

Congratulations to Kelly and the artists of Cove Gallery & Boutique

"We're very appreciative and grateful," Craig says.

So here's to Kelly, and to every artist with work on Cove's shelves. Craig's advice is simple. "If you're going to Bradenton Beach, you should go to Cove Gallery & Boutique."

Stop in, say hi to Kelly, and take a good look at what her artists are making. Then tell them congratulations from all of us at Top Recommends.