Hilary Gent is a Cleveland-based painter and the owner/director of HEDGE Gallery, located within the 78th Street Studios in the Gordon Square Arts District. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from Kent State University in 2003, studying under the late, legendary Cleveland artist Craig Lucas—a formative mentorship that continues to shape her practice.

Working predominantly in oil and latex, Gent recently introduced latex house paint into her process, mixing custom colors and layering them onto canvas through a dynamic pouring technique. Her vibrant, evocative abstractions draw inspiration from the urban landscape, Lake Erie, and Northeast Ohio’s regional waterways, capturing the interplay of light, water reflections, and natural forms. Through rich color palettes and sensory elements of touch, sound, and sight, her paintings translate personal connections to the surrounding landscape into expressive physical surfaces.

Beyond her studio practice, Gent has spent over fifteen years enriching Northeast Ohio's cultural community. What began as a search for an artist studio evolved into HEDGE Gallery, a venue dedicated to advocating for emerging regional artists and art school graduates. Through staging public exhibitions, launching art walks, and curating events, Gent’s work as a gallery owner and cultural advocate has helped leverage the arts as a catalyst for urban revitalization and community growth.