We recently connected with Odeta Xheka and have shared our conversation below.
Odeta, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Founding OXH Gallery is both a culmination and a new beginning in my journey as a woman, mother, artist, cultural transplant and entrepreneur. Leaving my country of birth, Albania, and settling in my children’s birthplace, Brooklyn, NY, before eventually relocating to our current home in Tampa, FL, has compelled me to reevaluate the concept of ‘belonging’ as a deeply safe harbor one can look for, no matter life’s twists and turns. When I moved to Tampa, which is currently one of the leading regions for real estate development in the US, it came as a bit of a surprise to recognize the lack of emphasis on cultural amenities as the city gallops toward its top-tier city status. It is simply impossible to ascend to such levels without prioritizing and, most crucially, investing in aspects such as culture, art and community for the quality of life and long-term benefit of Tampa Bay’s increasingly diverse population.
Recognizing a gap, I established OXH Gallery in late 2023. Named after me, purposely using my initials to keep greater diversity and more women-founded and women-run businesses in the arts, the gallery marks the initial phase of a broader endeavor. Through it, I envision close partnerships between the gallery and local businesses to become a lasting hub for culture and community. OXH Gallery is more than just a physical space; it’s a safe harbor for those looking to normalize the need to jump off the hamster wheel from time to time and give in to pampering their senses, soul, mind and body. It serves as a melting pot for artists from diverse backgrounds to organically converge and create.
Though the idea may appear over-ambitious, OXH Gallery aims to expand nationally. It seeks to become precisely the sort of creativity-based behemoth resting on secure grounds. It functions both as a platform for expression and celebration of our shared humanity as well as a nexus for connection to include in the second stage, concierge and luxury services.
My approach emphasizes a culture of communication and collaboration as a deliberate choice in shaping our collective art experiences. I’ve established a partnership with Tempus Projects, a Tampa-based art non-profit and independent curator’s space that has been a great ally. This collaboration has proven invaluable, offering a physical venue where diverse artistic expressions intertwine with dialogue and reflection, enriching the visual arts community in the Tampa Bay region. It serves as a stepping stone for OXH Gallery’s future endeavors.
Odeta, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My story echoes the trials many female artists go through in a world that often prefers things to be straightforward. Unfortunately, it has little use for genuine expressions that can not be immediately pigeonholed into a sense of mundane conformity.
As a woman in the art world often relegated to the role of the narrator rather than the narrator, I have chosen to reclaim my voice as an artist through my art practice and elevate many other artists’ voices. I have done this by structuring OXH Gallery’s exhibitions as deliberate narratives to be viewed as acts of defiance at others as proclamations of existence in a world that too often overlooks the profound stories that women have to tell.
I am an interdisciplinary artist working across collage, assemblage, painting on canvas and new media. My work ranges from the abstract to the figurative. It has been juried into national and international competitions and featured in various art magazines and literary journals in print and online.
Most recently, I exhibited at the Gasparilla Arts Festival as one of the five local spotlighted artists backed by the Gobioff Foundation, which works to support human rights organizations and the Tampa art community. I am also scheduled to show my work at John F. Germany Public Library Kopler Gallery in a three-month stint from November 2024 to January 2025. I aim to explore and subvert the conventions of painterly images and literature via mixed-media text-based artworks that draw attention to how we perceive, communicate and filter information.
In the same vein, my work as a gallery founder and director is focused on drawing attention to the need to take ourselves away from the emotional and literal cacophony of contemporary life and give time to reconnect with our inner selves through art sharing. Instead of looking at this as retreating from life, it must be remembered that thousands of studies have used a wide range of research methodologies, from large surveys to experimental case studies. The arts can have a role both in preventing mental health problems like depression as well as managing and treating existing symptoms of mental illness.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I am committed to focusing on art and artists whose visual tools engage the mind, eye and soul to bring people together and help them remember what they know deep down is true. I want to put language to something for which there is no language available and ultimately celebrate what makes us all human.
Helming OXH Gallery comes with a particular set of challenges. It should come as no surprise that a significant part of my journey as a woman gallery founder and director has been navigating the challenging gender stereotypes, given that despite the growing number of women art dealers and collectors and all they do in championing artists.
Supporting art institutions and stewarding important conversations around the art industry continues to be male-dominated. It is equally as important to point out that while recognizant of the dominant trends in looking at art through technical, political, historical and shock-value reading perspectives, OXH Gallery is a passionate attempt to bring together intergenerational artists whose practices are complimentary in their conceptual rigor and artistic sensibilities.
OXH Gallery provides opportunities for communion around art not as a sentimental gesture but as an opportunity to ensure that engagement with beauty and meaning can endure far beyond the gallery walls. Given the current low levels of art coverage in written and online media and despite the growing need to illuminate the broader impact of art on communities, projects like OXH Gallery face challenges. Consequently, exciting exhibitions and panel discussions that bring together artists of all and one-off events intended to create an exciting space for young professionals to come and enjoy art have difficulty reaching their target audience. As a result, those who could benefit most from such events may miss out on valuable insights and experiences.
But, out of necessity comes invention. A newfound trait, particularly challenging for an introvert like myself, is the courage to reach out and genuinely engage with individuals, organizations and institutional representatives receptive to my project. To my great joy, my requests have met with positive responses, demonstrating that asking can indeed yield results. In a relatively short time, I’ve successfully raised awareness and integrated OXH Gallery curatorial efforts organically in the Tampa Bay art community.
Any advice for managing a team?
Petite and easy to smile while also decisive and hyper-focused, my trademark as a small art gallery owner has been about finding a delicate balance between resilience and vulnerability. Opening myself up to perspectives different from mine enriches not only my relationships with the artists I work with through the gallery but also instills more trust in my team members to help turn my ideas into reality. I take great pride in my skill as an active listener, coupled with a well-tuned emotional intelligence. This combination facilitates the formation of unexpected alliances through genuine empathy, fostering opportunities for collaboration and mutual growth within OXH Gallery. As an example, during the setup of the inaugural show, “MANIFOLD,” technical challenges arose. However, I entrusted the art installer to overcome these obstacles swiftly and efficiently, fostering a collaborative environment where every team member would feel valued and play an integral role in our success.
Yet, leading with empathy is not some magic potion to be effective at the helm. While it is a strong indicator of leadership competence, there is always the risk of being perceived as weak and overly caring. The truth is that strength and empathy are not exclusionary. In my case, carefully selecting top talent and empowering them to execute their tasks without constant oversight is a key aspect of my leadership philosophy, which is rooted in my many years of being a mother rather than in formal business education. Despite holding a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Columbia University, my approach as the founder and director of OXH Gallery is shaped by a deep understanding of the project’s mission and unwavering confidence in its pursuit, allowing for strategic guidance without micromanagement.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://oxhgallery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/he_a_rt_project?igsh=MWh6dWc5OTlrZGgxNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php/?id=100063496992720
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/odeta-xheka-8634932a9
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/@OXHgallery
Image Credits
Odeta Xheka