The Kiernan Gallery was founded in 2011 in Lexington, Virginia to showcase the work of emerging photographers and connect them with a collecting audience. In its three years of operation, The Kiernan Gallery thrived in the Lexington arts community, and its reach extended far beyond the Shenandoah Valley. Its group and solo exhibitions received national attention and provided opportunities for the artists outside of the gallery walls.

Additional gallery programming included the publication of exhibition catalogues, lectures, and pop-up studio salons in which an artist’s studio was converted into a gallery of their work for a one-night celebration of their art. Don’t Take Pictures magazine was launched under the umbrella of The Kiernan Gallery, and now functions independently. The gallery closed in August 2014 when Kat Kiernan moved to New York City.