In less than a month, Island Art Spot will celebrate its 1st birthday at Wyatt Square! This time last year I was pulling up old carpeting, whitewashing walls, and wondering if anyone would love this crazy idea as much as I did. I really had nothing more than a shoestring budget and the desire to create a happy space for people to explore their creative sides -- and while my budget & my desire has remained the same, everything else has changed for the better!
Since I opened my studio door last March, I have made HUNDREDS of new friends! Whether they be a preschooler, a summer visitor, or a mom like me, each and every person that has walked through my door or sat at my table has reaffirmed my belief in this crazy idea. I have survived summer camp (and lived to tell the tale!), had the honor of hosting countless birthday parties, and have sung along to the radio with some pretty special 8-year old friends while exploring the beauty of watercolors. I met a wonderful new friend who has brought the joy of sewing into our little space and is finally going to teach me how to properly sew on a button. There have been impromptu pizza parties, rainy day pop-up studios, and “cupcake wars” with nothing more than play doh. Sure, there have been some flops, but there have been so many more successes!
There is so much creativity in this community --- all we need is the opportunity, the inspiration, and the space to reveal it. Little by little, I hope to make Island Art Spot a space where more and more members of our community find themselves gathered together to create something that only they can. Whatever it may be, it is always unique, and it is always so much more than I could have possibly imagined.