We recently connected with Max Gleason and have shared our conversation below.

Max, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Since May of 2020 I have had my painting studio in one half of a converted hay barn on a rural vineyard property. The other half of the building has had various uses and tenants during that time. Then in 2024 the other side of my studio building became available, the previous tenant having vacated. I had the notion to take it over and start a gallery. After a few months of deliberation I decided to go for it.

I hired a contractor and put up drywall and insulation, added some windows, installed lighting and put in a bathroom. But still, I didn’t know if anyone would come. Would this small town be receptive to a contemporary art gallery in a repurposed barn? Would anyone even be able to find it since it is not in a store front on the main drag?

I put my first group show together and opened in March 2025 on the Spring Equinox. I was absolutely blown away! Nearly 150 people showed up to the opening. I have had several shows since then and the momentum continues to build. I am often told by visitors to the gallery how happy they are that something like this exists in our community. Taking a risk on the unknown was well worth it!

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 have been a visual artist my entire life. It is my calling and I feel blessed that I am able to pursue it. That said, being a painter can be a very solitary, insular pursuit. I craved more connection with the community, hopefully with art as the facilitator of that connection. Also as an artist at this point in my career, and given the life experiences I have had, I wanted to do something larger than myself and my own personal expression.

Starting Indah Gallery allowed me to engage with the community on a new level. It has also provided a platform for local artists to exhibit (there are not many exhibition spaces around here) as well as creating a venue for the community to gather, exchange ideas, and celebrate our humanity.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Show up! Art is vital to the health of any community. Showing up to gallery exhibitions, concerts or performances indicates to artists that people care. Showing up also brings people together and builds bridges within the community. Connection is compromised through the screen. There is nothing quite as magical as experiencing creative works in person, amongst fellow humans.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

My art bible is Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being. The book is comprised of dozens of very short chapters on all aspects of creativity. Rubin writes in a way that is extremely clear and accessible, and without ever mentioning God or religion, is one of the most spiritual books I have ever read. I recommend it to anyone in a creative field.

Contact Info:

• Website: maxgleason.com & indahgallery.org
• Instagram: @aaron_maximilian_gleason & @indah_syv

Image Credits

Cary Irving
Heidi Gore