Cleveland Magazine | HEDGE Gallery Provides A Home To Underrepresented Artists

For Hilary Gent and Hedge Gallery, it’s about meeting artists in the middle. Since its opening 10 years ago, Hedge Gallery’s mission has been simple: To create a space that didn’t feel stuffy, exclusive or hidden away but instead felt open and accessible for artists and viewers. 

“The gallery began with a goal to meet artists halfway, especially artists that hadn’t had any representation, and curate exhibitions of their work and promote them in a way that felt accessible to everyone in the public,” says Gent, who runs the gallery inside the 78th Street Studios complex. “What I wanted is a space that was open-minded enough to allow artists to come in with some ideas that were ready to go as well as ideas that were still in the works.” 

Gent has done exactly that, as Hedge Gallery currently features 18 artists — from oil painters to printmakers — many of whom have been with her since the beginning. Since opening in the late 2000s when 78th Street Studios had a little more than a dozen businesses, the gallery now features work from area artists such as Douglas Max Utter, Nikki Woods, Liz Maugans and others.