HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – On December 9, 2023, an EF-2 tornado carved a path from Nashville to Sumner County. He was only on site for an hour, but for many companies, that hour turned into months.
The rebuilding process always takes time, but All About Art Gallery is finally ready for its third grand opening.
Joy Baker's interior is literally filled with art.
“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind,” she said. “Last year was really, really busy until the storm hit. We had a lot of orders and were gearing up for a great holiday season. We had everything ready.”
Each piece of art you see inside the All About Art Gallery was created by a local artist. When you go within yourself, understand the big picture of how important community really is.
“We feel like we have a personal relationship with the art itself,” says Olivia Schultz, who works inside.
Even in the darkest of times, the sense of community lives on.
“He called me and said, 'Joy, please go downstairs,'” Baker recalled when the storm hit in December and her husband urged her to evacuate. . “You know the cliché. It was like a crackling sound, like a train passing, almost like electricity. Then there was a very loud thud, and then there was a bright flash in the parking lot and a very I heard a loud noise, and I think it was us. It felt like the awning was actually coming off the building and scraping against the door.”
A state of emergency has been declared for Sumner County. Officials called it a “devastating tornado” that ripped through Hendersonville, impacting homes, infrastructure and businesses.
“It was surreal. I went home crying because I didn't know what I would do if the things I loved weren't there,” Schultz said.
But the building she loves so much still stands and is set to reopen soon.
“Our artists and patrons have been very fortunate to have so many loyal customers and friends in the community who care about this gallery. From the beginning, they have asked, 'What can we do?' 'I was thinking, 'How can I help?' '' Schultz said.
After about four months, they said, “Third time's the charm.”
“We joke that this is a grand reopening, because when we first moved into this space, there was a fire and we were closed for about three months, and then we had COVID-19. , and we were shut down for almost three months. And then this,” Baker explained.
We will reopen on Monday, April 8th.
