Promoting local art is the most important thing to La Jolla gallery owner Barbara Freeman.

“It is a small village and we are a very sweet little group,” said Freeman, 72, of BFree Studio at 7857 Girard Ave., about the Jewel’s burgeoning art studio community. “We are all getting to know each other. It’s not like we’re competitors. We all sell different things.”

But, added Freeman, “We (studios) need to update our image to be very current.”

Toward that end, Freeman has led the way at her 2,500-square-foot gallery. “I had street taggers come in and have kind of a hip-hop show,” she said pointing out, “We need to continue bringing new kinds of fun and interactive art to the community: It’s best we do it together.”

La Jolla’s 21st-century art community hearkens back to the beach community’s early 19th century days when Anna Held created the Green Dragon Colony in 1894 after moving there with her sizable doll collection. La Jolla then became an artist’s mecca and has remained so since.

Retired from the venture capital world, Freeman began her art gallery to showcase her lifelong home art collection. “I realized the art in my house was really a friend to me,” she said. “I live with them, love them, enjoy them.”

The artist and gallery owner talked about her niche. “I find local or emerging artists and feature them in a prime gallery in a beautiful way,” she said. “I want people to come in and enjoy themselves – whether they buy anything or not.”

The experience at BFree Studio at 7857 Girard Ave. is always entertaining.

“I’ve had laser shows in the gallery,” noted Freeman. “It’s like having a party or celebration in your own home. We have beautiful receptions with catering. I like to help artists by giving them a voice.”

Freeman hosts watercolor painting, and other classes, weekly in her art gallery. “My personal favorite is the artist’s talks, where they actually come in with their work and slideshows and talk about what their products are,” she said. “The other thing we do is a guest speaker series, which we have ongoing.”

“I’ve worked hard to get here,” noted Freeman of being an art gallery owner who believes art should be for everyone. “We have families come in with little kids,” she said. “I have a little kid’s art room for them and their parents come in, sit down and relax. I just love the community feeling.”

Freeman is also proud of the impact she has had on emerging artists who’ve exhibited in her gallery. “I have three women close to age 70 who have been taking painting classes for 40 years, but don’t call themselves artists,” she noted. “One of them now has had her own show. Painting full-time changes their minds about who they are and what they can contribute.”

Concluded Freeman of her La Jolla art gallery experience: “It has been joyful from beginning to end.”