What does it take to build a thriving art gallery from the ground up? Hayley's journey offers a masterclass in following your passion against all odds.

Growing up on Long Island with its breathtaking beaches, Hayley developed an early love for beauty and creativity through museum visits with her art-teacher sister. While her corporate marketing career took her around the world, art remained her true passion—using paychecks to buy paintings while friends splurged on luxury cars and vacations.

Life took a dramatic turn when she received a lifetime achievement award in her mid-forties. Reflecting on her father's passing at 47 and her constant travels away from her young children, Hayley realized something needed to change. A synagogue fundraiser where she organized an art auction revealed an unexpected truth: New Albany residents loved buying original art. Just like that, a business plan was born.

The Hayley Gallery opened on November 8, 2007—her father's birthday—with an overwhelming response of 500 attendees. Then came the 2008 recession. Hayley cashed in retirement accounts, sold jewelry, and made countless sacrifices to keep her dream alive, driven by commitment to the artists who trusted her with their work.

Today, the gallery represents 90 diverse artists, each with remarkable stories—from Adam Culp, who creates art inspired by his experience of blindness before cornea transplants, to Sean Augustine, who found healing through art after military service. The gallery has become more than a business; it's a community where artists' stories of transformation inspire visitors and collectors alike.

Come visit the Hayley Gallery, where you'll be greeted by Maddie the gallery dog and surrounded by beautiful, meaningful art in an inviting atmosphere that breaks down the intimidation often associated with art spaces. As Hayley tells visitors, "You're standing in my dream."

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