Our COVID-19 Policies

1. We are open for business and our hours are 10- 6 Monday-Thursday, 10-8 Friday and Saturday, and 1-6 on Sunday.

2. We are following the CDC guidelines. Customers who have been vaccinated are not required to wear a mask. Those who have not been vaccinated are requested to wear a mask. Social distancing is required at all times. We have hand sanitizer available at our desks for your use.

3. We are still doing curbside pick up. Call us about a book and we will take care of it for you. Then you can drive up and we will bring it to your car or the front door if you prefer. And you can still come inside!

Who We are?

Owner Diane Parfitt and husband Hank opened City Center Gallery & Books in 2003. With a large selection of used books and beautiful local art, there is always something to discover here!

Our Hours

City Center Gallery and Books is located in the heart of Historic Downtown Fayetteville, NC. We are open Monday-Sunday. Come find your next great book here between our hours of operation listed below!

Book Clubs

For more information on starting a book club please let us know. We would be happy to host an information session at the store to help you put a new book club together.

Our Story

City Center Gallery & Books has been a part of Downtown Fayetteville since 1999. At the original location on Maxwell Street, City Center Gallery dealt exclusively in art. When we made the move to Hay Street in 2003, literature joined the mix. Come visit us in our beautifully restored circa 1890 building at 112 Hay Street.

It began with a friendship…

In 1995, we met Bob Rector for the first time in a coffee shop in downtown Fayetteville, NC. In our group that night was artist Becky Lee, who was anxious to introduce us to him. We learned a lot that night about the life of a commercial artist in Detroit in the 50’s and 60’s, his travails trying to make it after that in the “real” art world in California, and about the colorful characters he met along the way.

Later, Bob was persuaded to show us some of his paintings of classic automobiles and racing cars. These he kept in the trunk of his old, beat up Volvo. Incredible life-like images created by this man with the tip of his brush held us in thrall. Soon after, we commissioned Bob to do a portrait of Hank’s ’84 Olds convertible. It wasn’t long until friends and associates were commissioning Bob for portraits of their cars or children or pets. In 1999, City Center Gallery was founded on Maxwell Street to display and sell Bob Rector’s “incredible likenesses.”

A Big Change

The “& Books” was added when the gallery made the move to 112 Hay Street in 2003. Since then, our ever-evolving book selection has included fiction, military history, mysteries, and, of course, the classics. There is even a selection of children’s literature for all ages in the back of the store, where they might find a few dinosaurs lurking!

City Center Gallery & Books is still the exclusive agent of Bob Rector’s original art. Some limited edition signed giclees are available as well.

Since moving, we have expanded our art selection and now feature Caroline Merino, a very talented young artist who burst onto the local art scene over three years ago, and Johnny Horne, Cindy Burnham, and others.

Here to Stay

Artists, authors, and musicians are often seen at  City Center Gallery & Books for exhibits or book signing, helping to make memories, or just leaving off more art or books and visiting with the owners and staff. Be on the lookout for special events here during 4th Fridays, the Art Walkabout, and big Downtown events like Dogwood Festival or A Dickens Holiday. We also host artists and authors on other dates apart  from these events.

If crowds aren’t your thing, City Center Gallery & Books hosts two monthly book clubs, The Directions Book Club and The Other Book Club. The reading lists and books are available in the store.

For more information, use this link to contact us or join our mailing list for monthly updates.

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