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I Come for the Community

Mindy and her longtime friend Annie joined Open Studio a year ago as an opportunity for them “to hang out together and make art.”

Turns out, it met more than an artistic need. “It gives us a community,” said Mindy.

Every Thursday, artists of all practices and skill levels are invited to create in community in the studio at Kennedy Heights Arts Center, free of charge. With support from studio coordinator Lynne Gibb, adults paint, draw, work with clay, felt, knit – and share coffee and their lives.

When Lauren was diagnosed with cancer, she and her three sisters wanted to spend as much time together as they could. They decided to do something they all enjoy: making art. After all, Lauren was an artist who at one time had a studio in the Pendleton Art Center.

“The Sisters”, as we often called them, became regulars at Open Studio. As they joyfully painted together each week, they also bonded with everyone in the group.

After Lauren passed away this summer, Lynn, Lila and Lisa thought it would be difficult to come back to Open Studio without their sister. But the support they found here helped them heal. Now they have recruited their cousin Amy, and they are carrying on the artistic projects Lauren began.

Open Studio is a nurturing, creative space to explore, experiment and get inspired by other artists. But for its members, it is more than that.

As one remarked, “I come for the community.”

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