December 13, 2018

Meet Lin Oz of The L.OZ Gallery in West End/Adair Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lin Oz.

Lin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Born in Holland Utrecht to a Queen, I started my journey through following my heart. Before I got back to America, I was traveling to Europe and Africa, and there was a lady who told me that no matter what I do or no matter what I go through to always follow my heart. So, as I was on my way to sign my lease, I saw a big mural around the corner that said, “follow your heart” and this is what started my journey with my company, a photography/gallery space in the West End. I started my journey through following my heart.

I must say, my start was rough, but the struggle taught me how to be more creative in how I hustle. It taught me how to think of ways to creatively make a dollar out of nothing; critically thinking of ways to make money. I would throw dinner parties, speakeasy’s with live performances. I would rent my space for videos in photo shoots, private meetings, interviews, hosting for movie extras, all kinds of things. So that’s how I came to terms with a multi-creative space, the space does not hold one title. It originally had a different name and then right at the end of climbing the mountain, I said I wanted to change it to my initials and create a gallery. So, the grand opening will finally be in 2019.

This will be an art gallery that holds workshops and classes, opens up as a photography and production studio, and operates as a private event space and offsite meeting space. I myself am a consultant and further delving into the art dealing world. It’s a scary, lonely space to be for a woman of color but it’s time for change in this world. I got here by pushing through and keeping the faith and just staying close to God, without those things I would’ve quit a long time ago. Starting a startup with little to nothing has been on one of my greatest challenges. But I come from a warrior 🙂 and we never give up.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Some of the struggles were capital and network when I moved back to America in 2016, I had no Instagram or Facebook and I had been gone for two years and six months. I still kind of stayed to myself because I was confused. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. And then God pushed me to a point where I had to do something to be able to eat. I wasn’t eating, money for food was zero to none. So, I started creating treats, cupcakes brownies, cakes anything people wanted. Just to eat and pay for my room and gas in the car. It was an everyday hustle that I learned from my mom and grandma. I then traveled out of the country again for about a month and when I came back, I was faced with more obstacles. I said to myself “Either you jump now or you never jump”. So, I jumped, and I didn’t know where I was going to fall, how I was going to land or where I was going to land. I just went in blindly.

I have no experience in business except for what I have taught myself and what I’ve learned from my mom, but other than that, I just didn’t know. And still to this day, I’m constantly learning. It wasn’t a smooth experience.

Some of the struggles were also social media based. Having to build my Instagram and Facebook presence — something that I continue to work on now — but I know that it’s highly effective and important to have those things in place. And lastly, keeping up with myself has also been a struggle. You get so lost into working, hustling and networking that you forget to rest and fit in a healthy diet. You just really lose yourself. My biggest struggle was maintaining my mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. That was a really the hard part. When you’re used to a certain maintenance, and suddenly you simply can’t afford it, because you have to eat; because everything goes into your business; it’s a life switch. Dealing with daily anxieties and depression, insecurities about everything, it was draining. But you have to prevail, there’s only one option and that’s to survive. That was a big lesson and a struggle for me to learn. It’s all really about balance, and finding that balance was a journey. Balancing life, happiness, well-being and my dreams.

The L.OZ Gallery – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I have multiple businesses, but I will explain a little bit about what the L. OZ gallery is and what I provide as a creative. The L. OZ Gallery is a gallery that provides a platform for black and minority artists here in Atlanta. I want to give them the same opportunities and the same respect as any other artist in the world. I want to give them education on their rights and teach them how to protect themselves in the art industry. The gallery also opens up as a photography and production space. Anything that is creative happens here in the gallery, there are no limits. Within the gallery, I also will soon be providing art dealing services, art classes and an art platform for artists to use the space for art installations, art shows, and exhibits. As for L. OZ the creative, I provide creative direction, art direction, fashion direction for anything from photography to videography, extending my specialties for any kind of projects. I come from a very creative household — I have many avenues. I am not just one thing, I can be anything that I want when I feel like it. But I’m consistently always in the fashion world.

I’m known for being a true Gemini and always reinventing myself; never allowing anyone to put me in a box, especially when it comes to avant-garde projects. My proudest moment…well I have two. The first being when my mom and I created our first fashion show in 2013. It was the best feeling ever, creating and completing a project with my mom, who is a couture designer, and inspires me so much. My second proudest moment was styling Fifth Harmony for the MTV Awards in 2017 that was such a great experience.

What sets me apart really is just that I am apart, I don’t put myself in a box, I’m just here existing and I doing what I want when I want to. Creatively, I’m not pressured by society or social media, I just create what I would want in my own little world, and I think anyone can live that way. Creatively, you should never be like someone else; being myself is what sets me apart. I don’t let anything in the world pressure me into anything because that’s when I get creative blocks. It should always be a flow, so I think that sets me apart. Not to mention that I was born and raised in Europe and raised in the high fashion world, as my mom was a model and a designer. Photo shoots in the in the attic where a monthly thing, so I know that is a forever flowing thing should never be something you force.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is when you’re at a big table with all your loved ones, everyone is settled, no one is struggling, everyone is eating together, laughing together; we’re enjoying life together. That, to me, is a success. Being able to help communities and help people get out of debt and struggles to me will define my success. Success to me is not about the amount of money I have in my bank account, it’s about the amount of people whose lives I’m going to be able to change. I want to be able to create a path for my family members such as my nieces and nephews and my children to be able to walk in the path of success themselves.

Pricing:

$35 per hour for photoshoots winter special
$400 for 4 hour space rental, cleaning fee included
Photography or Videography Treatments start at $250

Contact Info:

Address: 675 metropolitan parkway sw Atlanta Ga 30310
4044339869
Email: thel.ozgallery@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelozgallery/
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/TheL.OZGallery/
Other: https://www.instagram.com/iaml.oz/?hl=en

Image Credit:
Some of Atlanta’s finest creatives! I was only responsible for creative/fashion/art directing and styling these images. All the photoshoots were #creativecollective group that I host at the Gallery. Fifth harmony picture I styled them

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.