East Meets West Opens In Woodbury

By R. Scudder Smith

WOODBURY — The “Antiques Capital of Connecticut,” added another notch to its collection of shops and galleries on Saturday, May 19, when East Meets West opened at 367 Main Street.

Over 2,000 invitations were mailed out for the special evening, a night that would benefit Connecticut Pediatric AIDS Project.

“Over $10,000 has been raised so far, and checks are still coming in,” Mr Keister said at one point. Guests came from as far away as Virginia and Washington, D.C., and a large number from New York City, in addition to many of the local and area dealers.

Louis Keister has been in the antiques business for the past 21 years, and for 12 has operated a shop in Los Angeles. He  has also been running a shop in Lewisburg, Penn., for the past two years.

The new shop in Woodbury is very attractive, with good lighting and bright walls. It shows to advantage the many textiles offered for sale, along with American painted furniture and some works of art.

“We are into textiles and color,” Mr Keister said, and the shop certainly reflects these interests of it owner.

As one guest at the opening noted, “Lewis never does anything just 90 percent, he has to go the full distance.”

In addition to the three shop locations, East Meets West will be represented at about a dozen antiques show yearly including events in Wilton, Mid-Week in New Hampshire, the Pier Shows in New York City, and the York Tailgate.

“We are really looking forward to our days in Woodbury,” Mr Keister said, “and since this house has five bedrooms we will be able to accommodate people who travel a distance to visit us.” He noted that “we turned away about forty cars just today as we felt that those invited to the grand opening should have first look.”

Without question, as word spreads about this new shop, those forty cars, and dozens more, will be coming back.