We recently connected with Hazel Caldwell and have shared our conversation below.
Hazel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
I believe you have to have a target audience in mind that includes absolutely everyone. Age, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion, and beyond should feel welcome. Some moments on my journey that have shaped my view and made me pivot and realize I needed to have more safety measures in place, but that is a part of growing and learning. My gallery is Downton in Macon, GA and we have our fair share of crime, but it doesn’t make me want to close my doors (yet). Being a woman business owner who is also gay has actually been very embraced in my hometown.
I created Green Light Gallery (yes, Great Gatsby reference) to build positive connections between the arts and members of the community through exhibits, education, and experiences. Every exhibit features the works of local artists and focuses on the artistic journey itself. Also, in promoting the arts, I offer educational classes involving multiple disciplines across the arts. There is painting on site in the gallery, which is open daily for anyone to observe or talk about the current work in progress. Green Light Gallery serves both as an open studio and a gallery. I also offer private Art Therapy sessions. I really just built it with an inclusive model in mind, where those that wouldn’t necessarily frequent a gallery would want to and those that have been to thousands would also want to.
The biggest pieces of advice I have are to try to include everyone, keep your wits about you, and support other entrepreneurs. It is hard out there! Instead of competition, try lifting the others up and they likely will too in return.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a Macon, GA native, studio artist, and art therapist. I paint full-time in my gallery at 452 First Street, with an open studio model. I find that the act of painting is a study in the art of relationships, not necessarily limited to human relationships, but also those with one’s surroundings.
After completing my undergraduate degree with a B.A. in Studio Art from the College of Charleston, I attended Eastern Virginia Medical School and received an M.S. in Art Therapy. I have worked with using art as therapy in many age populations and in many different settings such as the VA hospital, children’s hospitals, juvenile detention centers, private practice, State of Georgia Domestic Violence Centers, and individual, couples, and family therapy.
It is my goal not only to educate the community on the importance of art and self-expression but also to create artistic opportunities for local community involvement and exposure to different types of art from many disciplines. Investing my time and energy in downtown Macon with the goal of making it a stronger and more unified community is a dream come true for me.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I am currently having to pivot because foot traffic is becoming less and less. Economic times with the political climate are tough, and people are cutting way back, and sadly, I am seeing how it is affecting lots of small business owners around me and all over the US. As prices are rising, so is our overhead. I have invested over $80,000 in the space I am now in, and I am no longer close to breaking even. I have been offered a job as an Art Therapist in Atlanta, so I am contemplating closing the gallery down.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I think that looking locally for small business loans where you are opening is really important because they want to invest in their community, too. It behooves both parties in this situation. It is a drag to have to pull together all of your financials and build a solid business plan to present to them, etc., etc., but completely worth it. I have found from my experience that big banks are much harder to get a loan from for a small business than a local organization. Community support is everything in my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.greenlightartgallery.com
- Instagram: @green_light_gallery
- Facebook: Green Light Gallery
