Charlotte’s oldest art gallery moves to a new South End space at the RailYard

Hodges Taylor, the venerable art gallery and consultancy that has reinvented itself many times over the decades, is moving to a new location at the RailYard in South End.

The move coincides with Hodges Taylor’s 40th anniversary. But the pandemic and nationwide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death changed the mindset of owner and gallery director Lauren Harkey.

Harkey, 33, was reluctant at first to discuss her plans, given, as she said, “the coronavirus and the national chaos.” She said repeatedly that delaying a gallery opening doesn’t count as a problem right now.

For now, her moving date is a moving target.

She turned over the keys to the gallery’s previous East Kingston Street location in May and has been working from home since. She originally hoped for a June opening; now she’s hoping for late summer, but knows that could change. She has a Zen-like attitude about it.

She’s “embracing the uncertainty,” she said, “while the world is on pause.”

Pioneers

Dot Hodges and Christie Taylor opened their gallery in uptown Charlotte in 1980. It was Charlotte’s first art gallery that didn’t have a frame shop, Hodges has said. “At the time... there wasn’t an appreciation for original artwork. We had to create and nurture the market.”

Hodges retired in 2011, and Taylor followed in 2018. But a young associate of theirs, who’d first contacted them to learn about art when she was in high school at Charlotte Country Day, had joined their team in 2016. That’s Harkey. She was ready to take over when Taylor retired.

Harkey has been joined by a part-time associate, Susan Jedrzejewski, the former director of the Innovation Institute and New Initiatives at McColl Center for Art + Innovation.

#Stillcontemporary

Harkey never considered changing the gallery’s name. When people asked if she planned to add her name, she told them: ‘Three last names means it’s a law firm, so no.’ ” Harkey is a non-practicing lawyer who sees a lot of similarities between her old and new vocations. “I’m an artist advocate now,” she said. “That’s why people go into law, too — to let someone else’s perspective be heard.”

While Harkey has left much about Hodges Taylor intact, including the commitment to showcasing Southeastern artists, the new space is unmistakably her stamp on the brand.

The first show in the new space will be a celebration of the gallery’s 40 years in business. Called “#stillcontemporary,” it’s not a retrospective, Harkey said. The show will feature new works by artists (including abstract painter Tom Stanley, sculptor Cristina Córdova, fiber artists Rachel Meginnes) who have been “members of the family.”

The show may have to exist only in a virtual space, depending on where North Carolina and Mecklenburg County are with reopening. Or, maybe it will exist in the new 1,800-square-foot space at 1414 S. Tryon St., with small groups allowed in it at any one time.

‘As pure as possible’

“Having a physical space to show the work is important to me,” Harkey said. “I want to offer people a meeting ground. Looking at a high-res image of art online isn’t a good substitute for seeing it in person. I feel off without in-person interactions.”

And this particular physical space is one Harkey is proud to show off. She’s been involved in every aspect of design and construction. When the gallery opens, it will be her vision made real.

Harkey chose each member of the design team. Gresham Smith is the commercial architect of record; Ruard Veltman Architecture, a residential architect, served as consultant; and Marand Builders was the general contractor.

Veltman’s firm has used Harkey as a resource, and he’s bought art from her, as well. They share a similar aesthetic.

“Lauren is about being as pure as possible,” he said. “She wants to place artists’ work in the most pristine environment to allow people to focus just on the work without even realizing it. She wants clients to focus solely on the art and not the space they’re in.”

Harkey asked for simplicity. “But things get very complicated when you do something simple,” Veltman said.

The Hodges Taylor space offers, well, space. “There are varied ceiling heights and different vistas,” Veltman said. “Sometimes, you want the drama of a soaring ceiling. Sometimes, you want it to feel compressed.” The highest ceiling in the new space is 16 feet – ideal for big, sculptural pieces.

The world on exhibition

Harkey chose everything for the space, down to the custom mugs and plates designed by Powder Studio in Monroe. She called on local makers to be part of the collaboration.

Andrew Hayes did the metalwork for the restroom (Harkey was even concerned with the toilet paper holder). Even a waste bin is bespoke and custom.

Harkey has gone from obsessing over the tiniest details during design and construction to looking at the global picture since much of the state is still shut down. But she remains an optimist.

“The protests are giving people a chance to speak who haven’t been able to,” she said. “I see a mixture of anger and hope in the protests. You don’t do this unless you think there’s a better way, a way out.”

“The world,” she said, “is on exhibition now.”

40 years in the making

Visit Hodges Taylor online for now. Check the website for news of their opening at The RailYard at 1414 S. Tryon St.

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This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 3:06 PM.