INDIANAPOLIS — A local Black-owned barbershop on Indy's Old Southside =is bringing a different kind of buzz to the neighborhood by blending haircuts and culture through art.
At Kut Gallery, a haircut is more than a fresh fade or a crisp line-up. The new barbershop that opened last summer doubles as an art gallery, creating a space where community and culture connect.
“It's an aha moment for people, you know, cause they're like, so there's an art gallery inside of a barbershop,” said Devin Richardson, co-founder of Kut Gallery.
Richardson is a longtime barber who helped shape the concept behind the shop.
He’s been cutting hair for nearly two decades and wanted to bring something unique to the city he grew up in.
“I’ve been a barber now almost 19 years. So the concept, which is to have something innovative, something different,” Richardson said. “It is actually allowing you to express yourself artistically, be open-minded, be transparent.”
The walls inside Kut Gallery are lined with artwork from local Hoosier artists of all backgrounds and styles — including pieces from a 10-year-old immigrant whose family fled Afghanistan.
“We're allowing artists to connect with us and be able to have a wall to put their art on, put the story on,” Richardson said.
Richardson told WRTV every client who sits in his chair brings a story, much like the artwork on display.
It's also an opportunity to support local artists while learning about them.
“Everybody who comes to my chair has a story. So artist, it's, canvas has stories to it," he said.
For Richardson, the mission goes beyond haircuts and art, it's about exposing them to something different.
It’s about inspiring others, especially younger clients.
“It allows them to see how if you make room in life. It allows you to grow,” he said.
Barbershops have long been staples in Black communities, serving as places of connection and conversation.
Kut Gallery aims to continue that tradition while offering something new.
“Definitely influential, something nice to look at when you come in, waiting to get your haircut,” said long-time client Elliott Simmons, who was surprised to see the transformation inside the shop.
Richardson says the space creates opportunities for people to come together in a more intentional way.
“We have a space for us to be able to really come together and this gives us the opportunity to really, I think, be more intuitive and attentive,” he said.
Kut Gallery is located at 942 S. Meridian St.
The shop partnered with Patchwork Indy, a local immigrant welcome center, to host its first exhibit and plans to host another and open galleries later this month, along with throughout the year.
All artwork displayed in the shop is for sale and goes to the local artist.
