11 THINGS I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT – MARLANA HAMMOND KEYNES
For Marlana Hammond Keynes, bringing high-quality products directly to customers was a natural path. Her family’s eponymous clothing boutique, Hammond’s Clothiers in Lancaster, was an Ohio staple of high-fashion and high-caliber clothing long before big name retailers brought fashion-forward luxury brands to destination shopping meccas around Columbus.
Finding her own path in retail (and following a passion for the arts and art community), Marlana and her sister opened their first art gallery in the basement of their family’s clothing boutique. community where she grew up more than four decades ago. Her success allowed her to open another shop, this time in Bexley, where she courted Columbus’ collecting community and built a stellar reputation for recognizing and cultivating talent, encouraging and supporting her artists, and bringing a near-unmatched level of integrity and passion to her gallery operation. When fellow arts-advocate and real estate investor Mark Wood brought her to a space on the corner of Russell and High, she couldn’t resist.
Marlana moved her gallery to the Short North in 2015, and Hammond Harkins Gallery has sat on that street corner ever since. Marlana’s relationships with artists like Denny Griffith, Paul Hamilton, and Aminah Robinson have stocked the gallery with beautiful works, and Marlana quickly became one of the most recognizable names in the Short North and the Columbus art world as a whole. Visiting the gallery, it’s easy to recognize why: her taste in art and support for her artists is difficult to beat.
Now, after more than eight years in the Short North and over 40 years in the industry as a whole, Marlana is retiring and selling the iconic gallery. Before stepping out of the art world as a whole, she shared with Sophisticated Living Columbus the ten things she cannot live without.
To learn more about the gallery, go to hammondharkins.com. For more information about purchasing works or the gallery itself, contact a@ameliajeffers.com.
Good food makes any day better. The Guild House and the Fish Market are my favorites. Oysters, raw on the half shell (my obsession), with lots of horseradish and cocktail sauce –– the works, and piles of ice.
Pearl necklaces. I went to work every day with my pearls around my neck because they have a cool elegance and a sense of confidence.
Boston Terriers. I had two cats, Muffy and Jasper years ago, but more recently, I fell in love with my friends' Boston Terrier, Buster, and he greeted me every day after work and just ran around in excitement.
Friends and family. I am grateful to my parents for raising me with standards like an amazing work ethic, integrity, and a dedication to my employees and clients, and to my friends for being there when it counted. My daughter stood by me through thick and thin and looked after me. She's indispensable to my life.
Fashionable clothes. I love to shop, and I love anything Chanel-inspired. I like Lafayette and Leal, and I admire Connie Ballenger's taste. My parents owned a high-end clothing store, Hammonds, and the love of clothes transferred from them to me. It transformed my taste, and I love to keep up with current trends.
Art. Art has always been a major focus in my life, especially having started an art gallery and having been at it for 50+ years. If it had not been for the artists, I would not be here.
My lounge chair. Where would I be without the comfort of my lounge chair? It’s a big leather recliner, and every evening I cannot wait to put my feet up, relax, and contemplate life.
Period movies, especially anything Jane Austin. I love the recreation of 18th and 19th Century stories, especially from the enlightenment and regency periods. The scenery is thrilling, the clothes are so elegant; the gentility and formality of the period feels like something of my past from when I was growing up that is long gone today.
Lemon Meringue Pie, especially my best friend's.
Health. I have been blessed with a long life, free of major health problems. Every day is a gift and I am appreciative of still being upright and walking.
My staff, and all of the support they gave to me and my business over the years. In the most challenging times, they were always by my side.
