There’s a new gallery in town, though its namesake is familiar to many in the local art world. Respected gallerist John Hockensmith opened the first Lexington location of Hockensmith Fine Art Editions in March at the Jefferson Street space most recently occupied by Wills Gallery.
In many ways, the gallery is a culmination of Hockensmith’s career history, which includes decades as an archivist, book publisher, gallery owner, photojournalist and fine arts photographer.
As a young man, photography became Hockensmith’s first love — a hobby he says he leaned heavily on in college, to avoid doing any “real academic” work. After a couple of years in an art program at Georgetown College, he got a job in Frankfort, working in state government as a photographer, followed by a photojournalism stint with a local newspaper.
“That was really hard, being out on the beat, providing my own equipment, doing the darkroom work,” he remembers. “It’s an 80 hour work-week where you got paid for 40.”
Tired of the grind, Hockensmith decided to go into business for himself, opening a frame shop and professional photography studio in Georgetown in 1978. That business opened the door to one of the most impactful relationships of his personal and professional life, with revered Lexington painter Henry Faulkner becoming an early and loyal patron of the shop, employing Hockensmith to frame hundreds of his paintings. Upon meeting, the two became “immediate friends,” Hockensmith recalls — a friendship that remained strong until Faulkner’s tragic passing in a 1981 car accident, and one that continues to influence Hockensmith to this day. He says he has framed 1,000 pieces of Faulkner’s work in the decades since his passing.
In 1982, Hockensmith sold his framing business and moved the photography studio to his current storefront on Main Street in the heart of Georgetown. It was upon that move he decided to open Fine Art Editions gallery, sharing space with the studio. Hockensmith would eventually return to framing in the late 90s after a non-compete agreement expired.
Today, Hockensmith is one of the foremost figures working to keep Faulkner’s legacy alive. His gallery purchased the exclusive publishing rights from his late friend’s estate, and in 2018, he published a book of Faulkner’s paintings, poetry and notes, called “The Gift of Color.”
In fact, his decision to open a new gallery in this particular area of downtown Lexington was largely influenced by the fact that it was Faulkner’s old stomping ground. Hockensmith says he felt compelled to bring the artist’s work back home.
“Faulkner loved this area. He drove these streets and walked these sidewalks,” Hockensmith said. “This city, this neighborhood — this was home to him.”
In tribute to his friend, one of the rooms in the Lexington gallery is dedicated to Faulkner, displaying original work by the artist; two other gallery rooms will host rotating exhibits, with the goal of exhibiting two artists at a time whose work complements each other. Recent exhibits have featured work by local artists Patrick Smith, Julie Quick, Jim Brancaccio, LaVon Williams and Father Norman Fischer, the beloved Lexington priest and artist who passed away unexpectedly this summer.
Finally, a fourth room in the gallery is a photography room that Hockensmith hopes artists will use to digitally archive their work. Utilizing professional lighting and intricate lenses to provide high pixel resolution, artists can use the room to make their work easily available for publication or high-end print making, or even blown up to billboard-sized prints for commercial use.
Digitally archiving all of the art that comes through the gallery so it’s available and accessible for generations to come is a priority of the gallery as well.
“Imagine, decades from now if we had a complete archive of work from this generation of artists working in the region today all stored digitally in the highest resolution, capturing the most detail possible,” he said. “That would be such a priceless treasure.
“It’s a huge thing to try and take on,” he added, “but it just takes someone saying, ‘I’m gonna do it.’”
Ultimately, Hockensmith wants his new space to be not only a gallery, but a nexus for the art community in Lexington. Fostering collaboration between artists and the gallery and helping strengthen the communal bond between various artists in the region are values that have long been important to him and aspects he hopes to embody with his new space.
There is something that feels incongruent about Hockensmith having both a decades-long, illustrious career in the regional arts world and yet still being, in a way, the new kid in town, in the upstart spot among a well-established art community. But that role is also freeing.
“It makes me feel young,” he said. “We have a really strong community of artists here, and that’s important to all of us. That strong sense of togetherness, our openness and acceptance, is what brings talent here.”
Henry’s Holiday Affair
Nov. 14-end of year at Hockensmith Fine Art Editions • 190 Jefferson St., Lexington, Ky.
In the style of a trunk show or holiday gift shop, this emporium-style display features original art and prints by Henry Faulkner and other friends of Hockensmith Gallery, including Father Norman, Pam Spaulding, Anne Kindl, Patti Edmons and more. An opening reception on Nov. 14 will feature light refreshments and beverages, in a holiday atmosphere.
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