Heather Haynes Gallery
I have been an artist/ entrepreneur for the past 30 years. I began making hats, birdhouses and then paintings when I was 22 years old and fresh out of University. For the first 10 years of my career I curated and promoted my own art shows in Kingston and Toronto. I have worked with many galleries over the years as well but have always come back to promoting and showing my own work in new and unique ways. I owned a bricks and mortar gallery for 8 years; 4 in Kingston and 4 in Gananoque.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I made the decision to shut the doors. In the spring of 2022 I opened a new gallery in the front of our beautiful, century old brick home in the heart of Gananoque. We open the doors to the public on Sundays from 10-2pm and other times by appointment. I have my studio in a separate building, where I pull back the curtain and let people see where I create.
Over the years we have had a handful of employees helping us with the gallery. We are currently a team of 3; myself, my husband Jeff Montgomery, who handles customer service and the money side of things, and Kendra Deen, who takes care of marketing and social media… they both help keep me on track!
I founded a non profit, The Art of Courage, in 2018 to support the work I have been doing in Africa since 2008. This work requires a much larger team of volunteers, for whom I have such gratitude. Together with the community at large we provide a safety net for 140 orphans and are providing free education for 400 students! The Art of Courage is hosting its first fundraising event since the pandemic on August 31st.
I also have a brand new documentary to share with people that was created by the Kingston based production company 'Untold Story Telling’. The film speaks to the work behind the paintings, shines a light on the DR Congo and shows a window into my painting process and why I do what I do. My career as an artist was launched in the Kingston area and has allowed me to have a flourishing career that has reached far and wide across the globe. I am so grateful to have grown up surrounded by such a supportive community!
By Heather Haynes
Instagram: heather_haynes_artist
Instagram: the_art_of_courage
TikTok @hay_mont_arts
