Gerry Florida and Memphis George are creating a new art space in Forest Hills that will serve as part pop-up boutique, part experiment and mostly – fun.

The two friends and fellow avant-garde artists met at the Craftsman’s Guild two years ago where they immediately discovered their work and approaches mesh.

“I already knew she was the best artist in the world,” Florida said. “Then she came in and she said, ‘Oh my God your stuff is so cool,’ and it was just a big compliment from somebody of her caliber.”

Florida of Braddock Hills discovered the space at 2215 Ardmore Boulevard, unit two. The pair will open this summer, most likely in June, and stay open until at least September. They aren’t committing to staying in the same space forever though, because they want it to serve as an experiment that can first teach them about the Pittsburgh scene, their clients and themselves.

George of Washington, Pa. said the partnership comes naturally.

“Personality wise, we kind of have the same intrepid sense,” George said. “We are explorers, so we don’t have any sort of boundaries as far as what we want to do. It’s really expansive and that’s a good thing and that’s a rare thing.”

The women already are starting to bring in their pieces of off-the-wall jewelry, with Florida’s work stemming from forgotten toys and objects, and George’s large necklaces, one of which holds an old wasp’s nest as a centerpiece.

“We decided not to water it down as an art gallery,” Florida said. “There are so many galleries popping up around the city now in the communities of Garfield and Lawrenceville and I think with our names, people pretty well know both of us so they know when they come here, what they are coming for and what they are going to see. It’s just us. It’s our show and we are the headlines.”

George said she is looking forward to the people and opportunities that will come into their lives as they prepare to open.

“We also are doing it because it’s fun,” George said. “We want to have community and have fun and explore and enjoy and put ourselves somewhere we have control.”

That’s exactly why they are leaving the door open to allow for change and adjustments in the future, seeing what will happen during a span of six or so months rather than opening a permanent space.

“We want to feel it and see what’s going on,” George said. “We are working artists and this is what we do, so we don’t want to get underwater. We want it to be about exploration and have fun and not be a task and not be a drag.”

For more information on the boutique, email gerflorida@aol.com.