She's lived in Maine and New Jersey, but Karen Gorneau found Bedford to be the best place to open a business.
"I love what I do," Gorneau says with a smile. "If you love what you do, it's not a job."
Gorneau owns the Artisan Cafe; a place that's part restaurant, part art gallery.
"All my sandwiches are named after famous artists," said Gorneau.
The cafe is part of a larger operation known as "Art on Depot."
"We have 35 to 40 artists that are in this building with their stuff for sale," Gorneau said.
George and Sue Wuachob own the building. They moved their custom quilt business to Bedford from Vermont.
"Everything is here," said Wuachob. "For a small town, it's amazing the amenities that are here."
Bedford is now home to dozens of galleries.
Tab O'Neal left a long career in broadcasting to open "The Art of Virginia" a few months ago.
"I've been an artist for a long time," said O'Neal. "I grew up in an artistic family."
With shops like his popping up in Bedford, he's noticing more people on the street.
"Now that we've got retail down here, you can see the traffic," O'Neal said. "That makes a big difference."
The city is earning a reputation with artists, who now come from far away to display their work in places like the Bower Center.
"We have artists from as far away as Blacksburg and Tennessee," said Sara Braaten, Director of the Bower Center. "We're beginning to draw artists here."
Bedford artists are trying to harness the momentum, and use it to drive tourism. They're hoping to start an "artisan trail" to promote what's available.
"So that folks can come to Bedford, and experience all that we have to offer in the artisan-related venues," said Mitchell Bond, co-owner of the Goose Creek Studio on Court Street.
If the artisan trail gets off the ground, it'll be used to promote more than just art. Organizers want to tie-in to another growing tourist industry in Bedford County: the wine business.
