One of the first big challenges prompted by my InTouch project has been my search for a workspace that would accommodate my needs for more room for artmaking, finished art, supplies, and helpers. The solution came at a price-- my dear friends moved out of their large studio to relocate out of state, and offered it to me. It fits the bill perfectly. Located only 20 minutes from my home, the 1,000-square-foot space is part of a complex of artists called The Alameda ArtWorks. The long main room measures 17.5 feet wide by 42 feet long, with a partial wall dividing it into work room/storage room. Another room separated by a door and with its own entrance will be a future photography space/storage space for the work as I finish it, but for now I'm renting it out to another artist.
Last week I moved out of my space at the School of Visual Philosophy studio where I'd been renting for three years. The dance to move out of one space and into another as its former occupants orchestrated their move out was tricky but successful. But in typical me fashion, I agreed to participate in a studio-complex-wide Open Studios event this weekend, only a week after actually taking possession of the space, which meant all my preparation and set-up would be compressed into an exhaustingly short span of time. I wanted to clean and paint before arranging and unpacking, so I had to call in some kid-friend favors to get a bit more time to get things done. I'm writing this on Thursday night; tomorrow I will unpack the actual artwork and do all the last-minute little things required before Open Studios on Saturday. Below are some photos of the space so far.
The view from the doorway showing the storage area in the back, and main work area.
View back towards the main entry doors. Multi-pane door to the left leads into the smaller studio space I'm renting out
Walls painted.
View from the doorway towards storage area.
Set up, save for the tiny issue of actually unpacking and displaying artwork.