Story by Zachary Hall

In my ongoing quest to define curation, I spoke with the lawyer, educator, and artist at the newly opened Gallery 645. Already familiar with Connie Grayson's many roles, I was surprised (but perhaps I shouldn’t have been) to learn that she had also taken over the former Hockensmith gallery space. Kids Place Lex is a nonprofit that Grayson founded two years prior to opening Gallery 645. The organization offers free art programming to at-risk and underprivileged children, and as the demand for her nonprofit work grew, Grayson had to find a space that could accommodate more children and more classes. Although she initially envisioned Gallery 645 as a space for the nonprofit, Grayson quickly realized Lexington needed a contemporary gallery that would showcase compelling work from local artists of all backgrounds.

Grayson explained that the gallery's mission was “twofold,” but the more we spoke, it became clear that the mission was deeper and more extensive than just providing Lexington with a contemporary commercial gallery and classroom space. In fact, the gallery hosts a book club, Friday salons, private viewings, and tours for high school and college students in addition to its regular slate of shows and classes for children. “My slogan is ‘Bring a friend who’s not into art. This is who this gallery is for,’” Grayson said. 

After visiting the space, it was apparent that 645 was much more than a gallery; it is a space where art becomes the vehicle for building community. During the summer, you might come across children learning to paint like Jasper Johns or find community members strolling through the front galleries, considering the biomorphic ceramic sculptures of Hunter Stamps. You might come across the artist herself, working in an adjoining studio space or chatting with visitors over a cup of coffee. It is clear that relationship and dialogue define Grayson’s curatorial voice. “Both in my art practice and in [curating], I don’t begin with an answer. I begin with an idea,” Grayson said. For her, making and curating are more about providing space to engage in a conversation and to even disagree.

A case in point is Gallery 645’s most recent show, a group exhibit of the work of 12 artists (including Grayson herself) entitled “Power Without Spectacle.” Grayson provided curator statements to accompany each work. It is her hope that in providing the rationale for selection, viewers might engage with the work on a deeper level. Indeed, the exhibit moved beyond the realm of aesthetics and decoration. To quote Grayson, it is about “quiet pervasive power — the things that strengthen us as culture.” As she noted, it is a human tendency to do everything in excess as well as to hoard resources against loud and aggressive forms of power. I could not help but think about how we can purchase whatever we desire with a single tap and how our increasing consumption often prevents interaction with others. In asking the viewer to contemplate work that focuses on systems rather than scenes, the curator seeks to highlight the beauty of not only what exists in the gallery but the beauty of shared experience.

Toward the end of our time together, the conversation began to mirror my previous conversation with Anthony Mead — something I pointed out to Grayson. “[Art] is how we show who we are,” she said in response. Coming to a curated space like Gallery 645 offers an opportunity to see the world from another perspective, to experience what Grayson and the artists on display think of as beautiful or “conversation worthy.” At 645, to curate is to attend to and form relationships, to start conversations, and to create a space for introspection.

Slated for September: a solo exhibition of the paintings of Honora Jacob. According to the gallery website, “Jacob works in oil, bringing meticulous technical precision to portraits of historical and fictional women. Her circular and oval paintings—painted in a tradition that echoes Old Master portraiture—place women of imagination and history in richly detailed worlds of their own: costumed, composed and entirely in command of their own narrative.” Opening Reception: September 18, 2026, 5-8 PM. 

Gallery 645, a Gallery Hop venue, is located at 190 Jefferson Street, Lexington. For hours and more information, visit gallery645lex.com or call 870-636-0917.