Business & Tech
Business Profile: Pin Oak Gallery
The Pin Oak Gallery has been a fixture in Waukee's downtown business district for 23 years.
When the doors to the Pin Oak Gallery opened in 1988, some residents were skeptical about how an art gallery might fare in downtown Waukee.
Today, as the area experiences a renaissance, the Pin Oak Gallery remains one of the pillars of the Waukee downtown business district.
“The guys at the bar, they laughed at me,” said Pin Oak Gallery owner Cheryl Laird Humphrey. “It was the town joke.”
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Laird Humphrey, who taught art at East High School in Des Moines and the Des Moines Art Center, had been running a gallery in Perry when her husband’s medical practice relocated to West Des Moines. As she hunted for a new location, Laird Humphrey thought Waukee was the perfect fit.
“I looked at it and I knew there would be a westward movement," she said. "I just thought it would happen sooner."
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Laird Humphrey landed in a former grocery store at 405 Sixth St. and the gallery opened on Aug. 1, 1988.
The gallery's focus has always been to promote Iowa artists, something that Laird Humphrey felt was lacking in other local galleries. As a former educator, she tries to help her clients understand the pieces they purchase.
“The best part about having the gallery has been the relationships with my employees and the customer base we’ve had,” she said.
Paulette Suffel of Waukee, who Laird Humphrey calls her "best customer," feels at home at the gallery. And the wide selection means she can find gifts without driving into Des Moines.
“They have so much stuff that you can’t see it all, even though I’m in here almost every day,” she said. “I like to have coffee, chat with the ladies. It’s just like those old guys that hang out at the hardware store.”
Pin Oak Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The gallery's annual Labor Day sale is set for Sept. 5. The store will be open that day from 7 a.m. to 9:31 a.m. with a 50 percent discount to customers who shop prior to 8 a.m.
For more information, check out the Pin Oak Gallery website or call 978-1955.