Daily Inspiration: Meet Hayley Deeter

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Deeter.

Hayley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I left corporate America at the height of my 27-year career to make a career change. I was a single parent to two elementary school children and wasn’t home enough. I decided to follow my passion and opened an art gallery on Nov. 8, 2007.

In its first full year, the gallery was voted Best Gallery in Columbus. Beginning with two dozen artists, we now display and sell the work of over 90 local and regional artisans including oils, acrylic, mixed media, glass, wood, photography, textiles, ceramics, jewelry and other handmade wares.
The gallery exists to promote the work of talented artists, the majority of whom are women, along with a number of LGBTQA and Minority artists.

We offer the gallery space on a monthly basis, free of charge, to nonprofit groups as a way of giving back to the community.

Monthly shows feature two artists who display their work for one month’s time beginning with an Artist Opening Reception open to the public.
Our easy to navigate website www.localohioart.com contains every piece of art in the gallery. This helps facilitate online sales and we offer shipping worldwide.
Since 2007, Hayley Gallery remains the one and only art gallery in the thriving city of New Albany, a suburb of Columbus.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The economy affects spending on discretionary purchases. We’ve endured a recession, Covid and the current economic downturn, however are confident the uniqueness of our offerings makes us a valuable resource to the community. Being an entrepreneur without a steady, reliable paycheck is ALWAYS a challenge. Rent increases have consistently been our biggest challenge, especially during Covid when we were not given any latitude by our landlord.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We are known for having art no one else has and in fact enjoying an exclusive relationship with many of our artists. We specialize in local artists from all parts of Ohio as well as some regional artists. You can find 90 different artists in our gallery each with a different artistic sensibility.

The gallery provides high quality archival framing services in partnership with a woman-owned framer – Sarah Karlsberger – from The Archive in German Village, who turns our creative designs into beautiful framed artwork.

Our tenant, Peace Love Juice, is also a women-owned business and we enjoy wonderful comradery with Susan Finfrock, the owner.

We are most proud of being a woman-owned business who has succeeded for almost 19 years despite variable market conditions, three separate moves within New Albany, and being completely debt-free.

How do you think about happiness?
Making clients happy makes me happy. When clients send me pictures of what they’ve bought displayed in their homes it’s a real treat. Plus they tell us that gifts they’ve bought have become treasured heirlooms. When I meet people out and they say – “that’s your gallery? I love going there”!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.localohioart.com
• Instagram: hayleygallerynewalbany
• Facebook: hayleygallery

Image Credits
Images belong to Hayley Deeter, Hayley Gallery