We’ve started a studio group here in Seattle. Anna and I had been wanting to participate in a group of artists that visited each others studios, so we decided to start one. I emailed local artists I already knew personally, as well as the members of SOIL and Crawl Space. People were very responsive, and a truly great group has taken shape. Members are: Saya Moriyasu, Troy Gua, Sharon Arnold, Laura Ward, Amanda Manitach, Damon Mori, Margie Livingston, Thom Heileson, Ryan Molenkamp, Etsuko Ichikawa, Joey Veltkamp, Anna Callahan, Susanna Bluhm.
Amanda Manitach
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Etsuko Ichikawa
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Sharon Arnold
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Troy Gua
Ryan Molencamp
Anna Callahan
Margie Livingston
Thom Heileson
{Troy Gua and Margie Livingston}
A lot of us hadn’t met before, so we introduced ourselves and our work. It was really great to see the variety of paths that brought each of us to this art community. Among us there are several high school dropouts, a former professional chef, a former engineer.
{Amanda Manitach, Joey Veltkamp, Sharon Arnold, Thom Heileson, Anna Callahan. Joey Veltkamp’s apartment was not on fire. I’m not sure why this photo came out like this!}
We’ll take turns hosting the studio visits, and the hosting artist will decide on the topic. We’ll talk about each others work, stuff we’re thinking about and reading, projects in early stages, etc.
Sometimes life as an artist can feel rather solitary. It can feel like you’re working alone in your studio in a kind of void. While that sensation is probably my favorite part of being an artist, I also feel the need for my work and my art practice to connect to a community that functions in a world. I think I’m in art not just for the making, but also for the being. It has something to do with the role I play as a worker in our culture, and the way I want to relate to other people.
This gathering felt more like a reunion than a first meeting.
