Tara Tepley

Tara Tepley is a Hutchinson, Minnesota native and the owner of The Paint Factory, a painting studio she opened in a historic downtown building in 2013. A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, Tepley discovered her love for painting during a difficult season — after a breast cancer diagnosis in 2010, a painting class in Denver became a place of creativity and connection that changed her path. She brought that same spirit back to Hutchinson, leading classes and building community through art. Her innovative approach earned her the Retail Innovation Award from the Minnesota Retailers Association.