ENGELHARD — It’s not every day one hears of a small-town girl finding success in the big city — but that’s just what Engelhard native Nina Sauer did.

Born and raised in Hyde County, Sauer, 35, graduated from high school in 1998 and decided to move to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

She attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study video production, then came on board to help run her husband Jason’s art gallery in the city, located in a Penn Avenue neighborhood undergoing revitalization. The couple has a son, Rowdy, who is almost 4 years old.

For Sauer, art incites a strong passion, and that’s what makes it so special to create and enjoy.

“I always like to say that artists can sort of make something from nothing,” she said. “Art is twofold because it’s therapeutic for the person making it and therapeutic for the person looking at it.”

Sauer’s husband bought a shell of a building in the “depressed” Garfield neighborhood as part of an overall initiative to bring the area back to life. The art gallery, called Most Wanted Fine Art, opened in 2007, then Sauer stepped in with her organizational skills from video production to help run it. The gallery now hosts 25 resident artists.

“For me, it was kind of like driving someone else’s ship almost,” she said of joining the gallery. “It’s like a brave new world out here. … We’re in a DIY district, so we can really make up the rules as we go.”

Sauer said the location is interesting because it is comprised of art galleries run almost entirely by women, although the art world is usually male dominated.

The galleries also make a point to support the community’s character as it is, fighting a common problem in struggling areas where low-income residents are forced out as wealthy buyers move in and property values skyrocket, she said.

“It’s really different,” Sauer said. “It’s like a giant machine that we’re running here.”

In November, Sauer was recognized for her efforts to help restore the neighborhood by Pittsburgh Magazine, as part of its “40 Under 40” awards, which was a special honor considering her role as a small gallery owner in comparison to large nonprofits in the running, she said.

“That was very exciting for me. I told my mom, ‘I’m getting my picture in a magazine,’” Sauer said. “What they do is recognize 40 people under 40 who are making a difference in the community. That’s a nice thing to be known for.”

Despite the recent attention and years spent in Pittsburgh, Sauer said she has never forgotten her roots. Her family still lives in Hyde County, so she travels back to visit them, keeping up through her mom’s news updates over the phone.

She said part of the reason she stayed in Pittsburgh was because of its unexpected small-town feel, which reminds her a lot of home.

“It’s like a small town in the South in so many ways, and that’s why I stayed, because it has all the characteristics of a small, southern town. … I just really liked that vibe,” Sauer said. “I definitely try to remember where I came from. I weigh my decisions based on, ‘What would they do in Hyde County?’”

“I feel like that’s a good base I’ve been given.”

To learn more about the Sauers’ Most Wanted Fine Art gallery, visit www.mostwantedfineart.com.