The big brick building that is now the ArtWorks was a factory in the 1950s. When it closed, Betsy and Jim bought it and used it for other things. Then they got the big idea. Why not turn it into an art village? With a gallery perhaps, and a coffee shop, and art supply store? What a wonderful benefit to the city! But first they would have to gather many artists under the one big roof.
Designs were drawn, streets were designated, studios were framed out, and just like the famous movie line "If you build it, they will come," the artists came. I got my studio a year ago, and since that time, we have grown like crazy!
The studios are built along "streets" named for artists. Mine is on Rembrandt, and it is number 15. Just like a house address. We can actually receive mail, with of course the address of the building!
Most of the occupants are in an art career already or are at least serious hobbyists. Not me. I jumped in before the dust was settled from the move to Wilmington, and memories of thirty years of nursing were still filling my head. What would I do!
Slowly I am coming around. The past year has been exciting as I have learned about so much about the huge field of art. Most important, I enjoy my peer group at the ArtWorks. As I told someone recently, one of the great things about being an artist is that you get to hang out with artists!
Maybe I can use this blog to boldly share some of what I am learning and doing, because that is what artists do. During all those years of psychiatric work, confidentiality was of utmost importance. And any good we did with our patients was done in private. Now I must show and tell! And I will also post what cool stuff other artists are doing, and so on.
I hope it will be of interest.
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