About

UNDERSTORY challenges artistic norms, champions new and emerging voices, and democratizes the experience of contemporary conceptual art.

About

UNDERSTORY is an artist-run gallery and studio space located inside 78th Street Studios in Cleveland. With a focus on exhibiting interdisciplinary and conceptual work by regional and emerging artists, UNDERSTORY promotes experimental art, creative dialogue, and community engagement. Founder Susan Snipes and three other artists house their studios in this space as well.

UNDERSTORY is dedicated to showcasing the work of fellow artists, driven by a commitment to creative exchange rather than commercial gain. With a focus on supporting emerging and experimental practices, UNDERSTORY provides a platform for work that might not easily fit within traditional gallery spaces—offering artists the freedom to take risks and explore new ideas.

The name UNDERSTORY carries multiple layers of meaning. In ecology, the understory is the resilient layer of vegetation beneath the forest canopy, reflecting the gallery’s location on the lower level of an old manufacturing building. In literature, it signifies the hidden or underlying narrative—an idea that resonates with the gallery’s mission to spotlight emerging artists and unconventional art.