09/04/25
by Victoria Ritter
Retirement doesn’t mean a stop to work for Tina Corbett. In fact, it’s quite the opposite as she turned her passion for art into a retail career: Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies in High Springs, FL. Business has been going well as the store celebrated its 10th anniversary this summer.
Corbett worked for 20 years as an illustrator with the U.S. Postal Service in Miami before relocating in northern Florida in 2004. After another decade of working as a retail clerk and occasional postmaster for the U.S. Postal Service, she retired, took up plein air painting, joined an artist co-op and became a member of the Gainesville Fine Arts Association.
“One day I saw this store in our little town was up for rent,” Corbett recalled. “It had great windows – they reminded me of Macy’s windows. So, I came home to my husband and said, ‘I think I want to open up a store.’”
After signing the lease on April 15, 2015, Corbett opened Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies that July. The area was prime for an art supplies store, as an office supply store had shut its doors six months prior and another art supply store in Gainesville offered very little relevant stock. High Springs had an active art scene that was overshadowed by college sports events, the presence of medical schools and widespread community events.
“You have to work hard for art, to get people to know that you’re there,” Corbett said.
From materials to masterpieces
Apart from oil paints, which she had used since she was a kid, Corbett knew very little about other art mediums. So she started curating her inventory by polling her artist friends on what materials they used and why they used them. She called companies who in turn introduced her to distributors. Two brands that stood out were SLS Arts and Faber-Castell as they were the only companies who sent reps to the store. “I catered to them because I felt they paid attention to the little guy,” Corbett explained.
Over time, Corbett discovered that older, established artists had their own equipment and could support her store only so much. Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies had begun to attract the attention of locals, out-of-town visitors and aspiring artists looking for student-grade materials. “Once I started bringing in those materials, business really started to pick up,” Corbett said. “You have to cater to who your audience is.”
With the multiple freshwater springs nearby, many artists incorporate local river wildlife into their work. “I sell a lot of turquoise and blue paint,” Corbett stated. “Oil acrylic, watercolor, it doesn’t matter. They all sell.”
The 1,700-square-foot store, located in the main part of town among restaurants and music venues, is split into two parts. On the right-hand side is the gallery, home to 21 local jewelers, potters and painters. Most of the artists have been showing at Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies since it opened; Corbett will introduce a new artist if another leaves or retires. She also selects the art on display, knowing what sells.
“Most of the artists in my store are nature-oriented,” she said. “They’re also mostly traditional artists. Contemporary art will not sell in our area.”
To the left are the art supplies; the store carries 3,200 SKUs. There are large displays for acrylics brands including Golden, Liquitex and DecoArt; oil paints from M Graham and Gamblin; and watercolors from M Graham and Holbein Artist Materials. Canvas, papers and graphic art materials line the wall. Other brands include Escoda, Fredrix Artist Canvas, Silver Brush and Jack Richeson. “I have a lot of stuff. But it’s organized, so it’s really easy to find,” Corbett said.
Corbett manages the store with the help of two contracted employees who step in if she travels out of town or needs help. Her Great Dane, Lucy, accompanies her to work almost every day.
In addition to receiving input from customers, Corbett gets ideas for her inventory by attending plein air events (she was introduced to Raymar Panels at one event), previously serving as a board member for the Gainesville Fine Arts Association and going to the SLS Expo.
“It’s difficult to go to those things because I have to really be controlled,” she observed. “You have your store hat on – you can’t go in there with your artist hat on because then you want everything. You have to think whether something’s a good product and will it sell in my area.”
Celebrating accomplishments
With the presence of a college, large hospital and multiple local events, Corbett is constantly working on ways to get her store’s name out into the community. Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies’ weekly electronic newsletter keeps 1,200 subscribers informed on new supplies and art in the gallery, sales and upcoming classes. Corbett also has a regular presence on social media, posting videos on Facebook and Instagram.
“It’s free advertising,” she said. “People will see things there and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I saw that on your Instagram. Where do you have that?’ I try to post daily if I can.”
The store hosts oil painting classes during its slow season in the summer. Traveling artists will come in to host workshops, and Corbett will have them stay at her house.
The biggest event of the year is the Santa Fe Springs Pleinair Paintout. Corbett invites 20 to 25 artists to paint the springs. For three days, the public is invited to meet the artists at a different location each day. On the final Saturday, the artists turn in their work to the gallery and a reception is held. The art stays up for a month and 10 percent of gallery sales go to a local nature-oriented nonprofit.
In honor of Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies’ 10th anniversary, Corbett hosted a celebration in July. The multi-day event included art talks with 11 artists, bingo and demos on oil, acrylics, watercolors and pastels.
Lessons learned
Lanza Gallery & Art Supplies has weathered highs and lows. Corbett observed that while customers bought more during COVID, people tend to buy less during election cycles. The newest challenge is contending with tariffs and inflation.
“You have to be careful because as prices get higher, it’s hard for people to afford these things. I tell artists to buy what you can. If you could buy a good brush, just buy one at a time until you work up your supply and take care of them,” Corbett said. She added that she is careful about buying into fads and tries to be frugal in her spending. “I try to keep my expenses low so that I can be prepared for the worst. As long as I don’t overdo my budget, I can ride certain things out.”
Corbett feels blessed of how she’s learned to run a store – a feat she credits to the grace of God – balancing her creative side with business tasks. She seeks to be honest and transparent with customers about prices and offering knowledge about her experiences as an artist, what products she would use and how to approach projects. For example, Corbett once made a trade with an artist; in exchange for 15 coloring books on the springs, Corbett gave her a couple lessons on how to paint water. “It was a good partnership,” Corbett said. “People want to talk, they want you to listen to them, they want you to help them.”
No matter who walks through the door, Corbett treats everyone equally. She hopes that her customers are comfortable asking questions and feel inspired.
“I try to encourage them because there’s a lot of people out there who are nervous about the political climate, their health, the world,” Corbett stated. “I want them to think of this store as a nice, little oasis. Here they can come be creative and have a nice time.”
