Sharisma Herrmann, a Glenside native and a 1989 graduate of Abington Senior High School, opened Bettie Jack Studio & Gallery in Keswick Village in 2016.
Creating murals and painting houses are Herrmann’s full-time gig. Bettie Jack’s became a side hustle to nurture a creative spirit and share something new with a town she’s deeply rooted in: Herrmann’s great-grandmother was one of the original residents of Glenside. She had a general store in the 1930s directly across from the former Glenside Weldon school.
“Growing up, the Irish shop was where we are for years. There were a few fleeting businesses in between, and then we took over,” she said. “It’s the street I grew up on. Bettie Jack’s is community-based, you have the diner, the theater, O’Neill’s, so I feel very connected. There’s tons of kids running around in the neighborhood.”
The name is a tribute: Bettie was Herrmann’s business partner’s mother’s name, and Jack is her father’s name. Both died suddenly years ago.
The name hasn’t changed, but the current location at 279 North Keswick Avenue is Bettie Jack’s second (the first currently houses Hook’s Intimates).
A perk to the move has been closer proximity to the Keswick Theater’s stage door, which shares an alley with Bettie Jack’s. When they aren’t performing, many of the Theater’s most prominent guests have made their way through Herrmann’s back door.
Herrmann has taken the opportunity to provide some hospitality and make friends.
“I keep it wide open. When they come to town the first time, I’m right there. Sometimes they think it’s the green room,” she said. “They’ll just wander in. They can bring their own food and alcohol to our rentable space so they can relax and hang out before a show. There’s a lot of floating people and crews. As soon as the show is over, they pop right out that back door.
“I’ve been here so long that the hospitality people and I know each other,” she said. “So they’ll just kind of nudge the performers to me. They come annually, so they’ve gotten to know me, too. They’re in and out all day long, they sometimes have some time to kill. They’ll eat breakfast at the diner in the morning, people don’t even know they’re there.”
Occasionally, the interactions are more than just passing through.
“Gram Nash of Crosby Stills Nash & Young flipped out one time. He didn’t have his tea pot so his handler came to me. I sold them my friend’s great grandmother’s tea pot,” Herrmann said.
Other times, a road-weary rockstar needs some fresh clothes. Bettie Jack’s offers vintage options which pair nicely with their commissioned paintings, antique art, thrift store finds, and palette signs handmade by Herrmann.
“I like to see where old items end up and get new life. I call the front ‘The Gallery’, the basement is its own world, and then we have a backroom that we rent out. I make a lot of art back there,” she said. “I try to keep it neat for entertaining. It’s a great meeting spot.”
Among Herrmann’s roles is keeping local customers calm so they don’t cross boundaries with the A-listers.
“I love watching people get starstruck. Sometimes a whole band rolls in and everyone gets besides themselves,” she said.
Wander into Bettie Jack’s at the right time, and you might see what she means. Their hours are 1:00pm – 6:00pm and 9:00pm – 12:00am on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday From 1:00pm – 4:00pm.
For more on Bettie Jack’s, you can visit their Facebook page.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Photos: Sharisma Herrmann