In this candid conversation, I sit down with two artist-parents-turned-gallery-owners who open up about the balance, the burnout, and the unexpected joys of wearing multiple creative hats. Sara Tuttle, founder of Foyer Gallery in Richmond, VA, shares honestly about pausing her studio practice for a year to launch the gallery—now easing back in with one day a week. Shannon Rae Fincke, founder of The Middle Room Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, reflects on how wildly she underestimated the workload of starting a gallery from scratch. Together, they explore how curating both fulfills them creatively and, at times, leaves less fuel for their own art.
We talk about raising kids immersed in culture, forging your own path, and embracing multiplicity—proving that a creative life can be many things at once. They reveal the vision behind their warm, unpretentious gallery spaces built to connect local collectors and artists, and they spill the tea on what they’ve learned about professional practices: why communication matters, how to be ready with your materials, and what makes for strong artist–gallery relationships.
A grounded, generous episode for anyone navigating art, work, and the many identities that make up a creative life.
Final Five:
Art crush – Clare Grill (Sara) and Mamma Andersson (Shannon)
Travel – Italy (Sara) France and Iceland (Shannon)
Book – The Mother Artist book (Sara) any good memoir (Shannon)
Meal – really good sushi (Sara) and pizza (Shannon)
Shoutout – her husband (Sara) and her daughters (Shannon)
Connect with Sara via her instagram and view more of her work on her website and view Foyer Gallery on instagram or browse their website
Connect with Shannon via her instagram and view more of her work on her website and view The Middle Room Gallery on instagram or browse their website
The Artist/Mother podcast is created and hosted by Kaylan Buteyn.
Connect with Kaylan via her website or instagram or follow her substack here!
Apply to a 2026 Artist Parent Residency hosted by Kinhouse in Fort Wayne, IN:
https://www.kinhouseart.com/residency
Images from Foyer Gallery in Richmond, VA and founder/artist Sara Tuttle:
Images from The Middle Room Gallery in Los Angeles, CA and founder/artist Shannon Rae Fincke:
