We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Karen Ouzts. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Karen below.
Karen, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Resilience. It’s a quality that is necessary for success. How is best defined though? I think, for me, resilience comes from knowing that there is no other option than moving forward, no matter what challenges I might face. Quitting, stopping, pausing, they all constantly go through my head, but they never reach my heart. I began January 2020 with a negative balance in my business account. I refinanced my car to cover the next few month’s expenses. I had numerous workshops and shows coming up, I thought it would be fine. The world shutdown three months later. The revenue from those workshops and shows were meant to finish our main gallery and the studios. I’m still paying on the car. The project that should have been finished in 2020, finished in 2023.
I curated a massive show in 2022. My left meniscus was torn, and my right foot was broken. I hung nearly the entire exhibition by myself. There were over 50 artists and over 250 works. It was absolutely beautiful. I will never know exactly what happened, but the labels got lost. The files also disappeared. We opened with no labels, no pricing, no titles, no artist’s names on display. I failed. I failed publicly.
My sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer a month before that show. A year later, on Easter Sunday, I knew the battle was going to be lost and soon. I had to hang an entire show that night. I didn’t know if she would live to the end of the show. She did, but only by a couple of days.
A few months later, word got back to me that someone had some unconstructive things to say about a project I had given my all too, while in my gallery, while participating in the project. Then the week after that, I received a phone call that I still to this day will never understand, but it broke my heart to the point that for a moment, I wanted to sell the business. Then something odd happened. I had a job opportunity recently. It started out at $85,000 per year. It was design related. On paper, I was the perfect fit. At one time, It was also the perfect fit for me. Except, I just couldn’t. I couldn’t go back to belonging to someone or something else. I couldn’t “sell myself” at an interview. Sell myself? That phrase just kept going through my head.
Through the Grace of God, I have survived against a mountain of odds, unusual and extreme odds. I watched my husband build the facility every night and weekend for nearly four years. I’ve seen parts of me evolve that I never knew existed. I’ve learned what true friendship looks like. I had a stranger bless me beyond all imagination. I’ve seen sacrifices from my mother that few would have ever given. I’ve been at the start of some amazing artist’s journeys. I’ve seen the dreams of others come true in the building God gifted me with. In those walls I have seen more miracles than I could ever count. I saw another Entrepeneur bring a group of women together to discuss challenges of creativity and saw it turn into a church service that completely changed other’s lives. I have shown artists from the slums of Kenya Africa and the affluent suburbs of Atlanta. People have started their lives together in some of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen within those walls. I have been blessed beyond any measure imaginable.
How do I walk away from that?
I had another artist, Gloria Mani, tell me, ” I’m not going to die rich, but I am going to die happy, don’t you dare ever give up”.
So, I guess that’s a really long answer to say that my resilience comes from my heart, my strength comes from God and knowing I’ve walked through a wilderness, one that I can’t turn around and walk back through, back to serving someone or something else’s vison, someone else’s dream. I can never “sell myself” again. The journey to the promised land is tumultuous on its best day, but I can only walk forward, there is no going back.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I guess my title is Gallerist. It sounds interesting when I think of it that way. If this were a resume, I would say something to the effect that my job is to convey the vison of the artist to patrons. Its a lot more than that. I spend countless hours designing every aspect of every show from the promotional materials to the show itself. I have a thing about cohesion too. I can’t just hang the work. Every work has to connect to the work next to it, across from it and so on. Every grouping has to tell a story if possible and I present it in a way that potential patrons can visualize it in their space. These aren’t small shows. The main gallery is over 3,000 sq. ft. I have to activate the space in a way that is interesting, unexpected and visually cohesive. I don’t have a staff. I do have two volunteers. Essentially though, it all falls on me. What I find exciting is walking into the gallery and seeing 100 or more paintings, propped against the wall. They could be from several artists or just one, but there’s no rhyme or reason to them. Its a jigsaw puzzle – without the picture. I put on music, and I began to visualize it. Suddenly, there’s unity. The Chaos has become a calming environment. It’s a challenge and it’s my favorite part. I love when an artist sees it for the first time and their reaction when they see I made art from their art.
I’m also curating my largest solo show to date. Wanderlust & Art. The show will take place March 15th-23rd of 2024. It’s the works of Dorota Quiroz. a Polish born artist, who is a true world citizen. The collection will feature over 200 works with influences from the entire globe. They focus on introspection, connection, and culture. Subjects range from astounding landscapes, florals, and dynamic portraiture.
Speaking of art, there’s a new art we will be showcasing! It’s the art of celebration! I think after the pandemic, it’s time to celebrate all the moments of life. We are offering the space for weddings!!! I will soon be seeking designers, planners, and coordinators to attend a Grand Opening of sorts. Art isn’t just about pictures on a wall, it encompasses many creative fields, and I can’t wait to bring those together in The Gallery at Heritage- a slight name change from Heritage Art Center.
Our individual art studios are also now open. It’s a serene environment where people have their own private space to create. They are open 24/7 and include everything from utilities to WIFI and access to our main gallery for content creation. I’m interested to see what the future holds and excited to see all of the new changes.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the qualities that were the most impactful were tenacity, flexibility, and as we talked about earlier, resilience. I think I would tell anyone beginning their journey that everything works out – but never how they planned. They just have to keep pushing forward and be willing to pivot. I have been gut punched (figuratively) more times than I can count, but I fight back and push forward. It’s that moving forward that makes the difference. Also, I cannot stress this enough, NO ONE CAN OPEN YOUR GIFTS BUT YOU! It’s not someone else’s job to make your dreams come true. Don’t expect you out of others. It’s your dream, its your gift, and its up to you to make it come true. It is absolutely okay to rest, to ask for help and to learn from others, but ultimately it is up to you to make things happen. I’m a woman of faith as well. I have had to learn the hardest way possible that God is in control. I’ve learned not to idolize people but to put my trust and faith in him.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’m looking for three different sets of people. I’m looking for high end event planners, I want people who can make my space come alive in ways that even I couldn’t imagine for our new wedding offerings. I’m looking for artists to showcase. I want artists who have proven demand, are modern and have an untraditional viewpoint. I want artists who have statements to make. I’m not interested in painted reproductions, I’m interested in stories, emotions, and connections. I am also looking for Studio Tenants. I am big on keeping my studios as a place of peaceful escape. I want artists and creators who are peaceful visionaries. I know that can be a contradiction, but I want people who are in love with their craft and have a deep respect for the community surrounding them. Studios are open 24/7 and include all utilities. They are roughly 8×10 and are $275 monthly. Applications can be found on my website, Heritage-Art-Center.com for those. Inquiries about everything else can be emailed to me at TheGalleryAtHeritage.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Heritage-Art-Center.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritage_artcenter/
- Facebook: TheGalleryAtHeritage
Image Credits
DNA Media (photo taken outside of the building with the bride and groom) Riley Ducey Photography ( picture of couple kissing underneath moon arch) Impromptu Photo of people sitting at the table Cirrus & Gold Creative Company, pictures of building Dorota Quiroz picture of painting and blonde lady (lady is Dorota) Ins photography and makeup, picture of me (Karen) in black dress outside of building
