NEWS - Retail & Shopping Centers

SBJ Staff Report

Feb 13, 2012 - The Savannah Downtown Business Association (SDBA) hosted its annual “Entrepreneur of the Year” luncheon and program at the Westin Savannah Harbor Resort last Weds, Feb. 8.

This year’s event honored Julian Weitz of Friedman’s Fine Art. Friedman’s Fine Art who has been in business since 1902, originally started by Mrs. S. K. Friedman as an art supply and picture framing gallery on Telfair Square.

The business was passed down through Horace and Pearl Friedman and then to Izzy and Bernice Weitz. The current owners Julian and Jean Weitz joined the business in 1975. A vital member of the downtown Savannah business community, they have also opened three other businesses on River Street, serving both Savannah residents and visitors.

Friedman’s has been in its current location at 28 W. State Street, at the corner of State and Whitaker Streets, since 1925. The popular art gallery and framing shop has been an active partner in promoting historic Savannah through the years, according to the SDBA. And, Julian Weitz has been a member of many community organizations including the Telfair Museums, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce and the Savannah Jewish Federation. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Savannah Waterfront Association.

“The generations of the Weitz family have been Savannah boosters for many years,” noted SDBA chairman Ruel Joyner. “Friedman’s has believed in downtown Savannah and has been a proud member of the downtown business community through good times and bad, and we are proud to recognize their efforts at our Entrepreneur of the Year Luncheon.”

The Savannah Downtown Business Association is an independent, member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to the economic prosperity of downtown Savannah.