Dennis O'Connor

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

by Burke Campbell

Published in the Financial Post
October 22, 2007

Dennis O’Connor owns and manages the O’Connor Gallery ( www.oconnorgallery.com ) in downtown Toronto. The gallery specializes in traditional figurative art in painting, photography, sculpture, and drawings, including a collection of Baffin Inuit art. Mr. O’Connor tells Burke Campbell what motivated him to become an entrepreneur.

IT STARTED IN CHILDHOOD: “As a kid, I collected comic books. Today, the gallery satisfies my need to collect art and help others to do the same.”

TAKING THE PLUNGE: “I wanted to do work I’d enjoy. I already held a degree in fine art from   Concordia University . So, in 1995, I opened the O’Connor gallery.”

ANSWER TO NO ONE: “I wanted to work for myself. I like to make my own decisions and be responsible for my own actions, including the consequences.”

INHERITED PASSION: “My father was a miner in  Sudbury . He loved singing and music and he instilled in me the importance of art.”

MAKE A BETTER WORLD: “I believe that in a world where people are surrounded by beautiful things, the better people they will be. The most beautiful cities in the world have the happiest people.”

IT’S IN HIS DNA: “This is retail. I’m gay. If you’re gay, retail is in your blood. I mean, can you imagine how fabulous Wal-Mart would be if it were run by homosexuals?”

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