Self-made, self-actualized and self-represented, Ashley Longshore just might be the most independent artist in America. Eschewing the traditional gallery system, she not only pockets 100% of the profits from her bright, bedazzled paintings, but also controls how her image is portrayed in the finicky art press.  

“I just always believed in financial independence,” she muses about her bold entrepreneurship. “I just believed in capitalism. I have such an incredible team, and I love this new business model where we’re traveling and doing pop-ups.”   

At a soiree for Longshore’s new temporary gallery at The Terminal at the Katy Trail (open through April 27), attendees lined up to buy colorful canvases emblazoned with the likes of Dolly Parton, Queen Elizabeth II or Audrey Hepburn, or snap up Longshore’s giftable objects, such as a vase portraying the artist’s hand flipping the bird.   

Says the artist, “The people that have been drawn to my artwork love to have a good time, they’re the kind of people who might end up dancing on a table late at night. They love color. They’re not pretentious people at all.”  

Having a local shop selling everything Ashley is a rare treat for her fans, as Longshore relocated her studio gallery to New York three years ago after more than a decade in New Orleans. The idea of having a temporary space during Dallas’ Art Month meant she could also be closer to family who live in town while getting to know her local collectors. While she’s here, she’s taking a limited number of portrait commissions and is donating a portion of the proceeds to a scholarship at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

“I love that Dallas is a city that supports the arts,” she says. “I don’t want to just take; I want to give back.” 

Longshore says she hopes the next generation can take a page from her break-the-rules book. 

“The main thing is to know that people are going to reject you, they’re not going to understand your artwork, and people are not going to like you. You have to have that strong inner voice that says, ‘You got this, girl.’ ”  

Ashley Longshore is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at The Terminal at Katy Trail, 4205 Buena Vista St., Dallas. ashleylongshore.com