Meet the new owner of Rehfeld’s Art & Framing

Dec. 6, 2019

He’s an entrepreneur and an artist, which makes Jerry Cook feel like he was meant to become the new owner of Rehfeld’s Art & Framing.

Cook, who has owned Audio Video Integrations since 2002, took over the longtime downtown art gallery and framing business Nov. 11.

“It’s important for me to retain the legacy of Rehfeld’s,” he said. “I’ve got technology and artwork, which are huge passions of mine, and I get to blend them together with teams that are excited about bringing them together, so it’s a win-win.”

Cook has sold and displayed his wall sculpture pieces at Rehfeld’s and first approached Larry Rehfeld about the possibility of buying the business at a downtown First Friday event in October. Things moved quickly in November when “he just said he was ready to retire and the torch needs to be passed on,” Cook said.

“There’s a 36-year Sioux Falls legacy with it, which is a really cool thing to keep in Sioux Falls.”

It was important to preserve what Cook called “the finest art gallery in not only Sioux Falls but probably the state” as well as the five jobs at Rehfeld’s.

“There’s tons of valuable experience that they have on the custom framing side of the business. It’s a certified award-winning custom framing shop that does conservation-quality work. It’s incredible what we’re able to do.”

He said he doesn’t anticipate changes to Rehfeld’s at 210 S. Phillips Ave. but plans to take advantage of crossover opportunities between the business and AVI. He already had an agreement at one point to transport pieces of artwork for Rehfeld’s using AVI’s commercial vans.

“And my tech company gets into certain things like room acoustics, where my company can do the design and provide the product, but I need very detailed people to go in and do the fine work of the installation, and they’re the best framing crew in all of Sioux Falls,” he said.

“So these companies on some level will integrate a little bit, and literally that’s already happening. As I go meet with companies to do boardroom and conference room technology, I’m already there and they’re a potential client for Rehfeld’s.”

The downtown building was purchased by partners in VanDeWalle Architects earlier this year.

Rehfeld’s will be a tenant in that building.

Cook said he will be in charge of both Rehfeld’s and AVI “but able to pull it off because of awesome staff.”

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Meet the new owner of Rehfeld’s Art & Framing

He’s an entrepreneur and an artist, which makes Jerry Cook feel like he was meant to become the new owner of Rehfeld’s Art & Framing.

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