Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cynthia Naugle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Cynthia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

&gallery is a non-traditional art gallery in Tucson AZ. We feature art that you wouldn’t normally see in art galleries but we still consider valid. We feature low brow art, comics, street art, horror art, queer art, designer toys, themed art shows, and all the weird fun stuff in between. Our mission has always been to have a space for “weirdos” and accessibility to art. That accessibility looks many ways, no cover charge, lower price point items so everyone is able to afford a piece of art, and bringing in events that are inclusive to our various communities & cultures.

I am Mexican, queer, an abuse survivor and a woman. I grew up as a creative so the art community in my hometown Tucson AZ has always been important to me. I grew up on the Southside with very little resources to move towards my own personal artistic goals so the only option I had was to create one.

TW: I unfortunately, went through sexual and mental abuse in my early 20s from a former boss when I was working in comics. Thankfully for the MeToo movement I was able to come forward with what happened to me, start the healing process, and work towards creating a space that would be for artists and creators like myself and also a way to give back to the community that supported me during this difficult time. Me coming out about my story was a big deal in the comic industry and was very public with plenty of new coverage. Although this was very difficult for me, I have no regrets. There’s power in vulnerability, me telling me story helped many other survivors of abuse. I use this softness and understanding in my gallery as well. I’m grateful for my strength and community.

My mission feels like it’s constantly evolving to match the needs of my community of artists that break the mold of what is “art”. You step foot into &gallery and you’ll immediately know what we stand for.

Cynthia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I feel like I’m the least likely person to have ended up in my position but also, it makes perfect sense. Who ever ends up in the position they wanted easily anyways?! I’m 1st generation Mexican American on my mom’s side, my dad(Mexican) didn’t have much family. I grew up in a traditional Mexican household, the first girl, so that came with expectations and restrictions. I BROKE THEM ALL. I came out as bisexual at an early age, I played in punk bands, I made art, and even got my GED at 17 and started going to community college. Once I got into college I feel like that’s when I started to find the importance in community…I realized I learned more from my community and art outside of school. So I dropped out, and started being more involved in Tucson. I participated. and organized within the comic, gaming, fashion and art world. I was fortunate enough to have a great mentor, Mike Camp from Heroes & Villains, he had a prestigious background in marketing and taught me a lot of what I know now. I feel like the most important thing I learned in marketing was: Just go for it, a “no” is not the end of the world. I learned how to find solutions for my goals, self discipline/organization, learning how to pivot and restructure when necessary, paying close attention to the community, and most importantly, drop the ego and do this all from a place of love and care.

With all that experience, my background, and survival I used that to bring to where it is now &gallery. &gallery was founded by Jonathan Wang, a passion project that came out of his design company Eat Sleep Work. Jonathan has been a big part of &gallery’s becoming. I was hired on as a curator after the first exhibition, in a much much smaller location. We Jonathan handling the Eat Sleep Work office and me taking over the gallery as the owner in 2022 we have been able to make both of our companies flourish side by side in our 4th ave location.

I would say the biggest strength &gallery has is it’s curation. We’ve been described as “A record shop, but for art.” We have something for everyone, but also may not be for everyone. We have alternative styles, street art, anime, comics, erotic, queer, and more themes of art!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn what success meant to me. I had to learn how to reevaluate the very different ways success looks. Mental health is very important to me to maintain because of past trauma and the stress of running a business. We’re very much in a time where “hustle culture” is glamorized. I absolutely enjoy being a busy person and pursuing my goals. But at one point in my life I did get wrapped up in a toxic environment that made me feel like my productivity=my worth. After hitting burn out a couple times I’ve had to learn how to read the early signs of burn out creeping in and pivot to “work smarter, not harder” this has helped me use my time more wisely and my energy thanks me for it.

Can you open up about a time when you had a really close call with the business?

This is actually something very fresh that I’m dealing with right now. As a business owner and a public person there’s a certain kind of pressure to appear that everything is successful. But it’s not always like that! This summer business/personal life I got struck by lightning repeatedly and I’m in recovery time. Personally, me and my partner decided to amicably get a divorce. Even though we are still supportive of each other, it’s a difficult process to go through. Business wise, Tucson’s summer was hit with record breaking heat and business was brutally slow, it was a bigger hit than we anticipated. Then we had 2 incidents of theft, it was a lot of money for a summer that was already slow. And lastly, staff changes, having 2 less employees. These are all things that were out of my control and I’ve had to have difficult conversations with mentors, collaborators, and myself. I went through the motions of what losing my business will look like. But I am incredibly fortunate to have many supporters in my corner that helped guide me to survival plan to get out of this hole. It happens to ALL businesses. The light at the end of the tunnel is looking brighter and I have my community to thank for showing me support, kindness, and patience through it.

Contact Info:

• Website: andgallery.art
• Instagram: @andgallerytucson @go.off.tiger
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andgallerytucson

Image Credits
Opening Reception photos by Velvet & Shadow @velvet.and.shadow