Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.
For artists who have a hard time concentrating at home, or who are eager to meet and network with other artists in their area, Starling Musings is now offering a free weekly artist's workshop. Individuals are welcome to come out to the gallery shop and explore some new mediums, discuss current or future projects and enjoy the company of other creative people.
Gabe Starling, owner of Starling Musings, has built the space as a collaborative venue that supports the local artist community, focusing on the concept of “third place.”
In sociology, the idea of a “third place” refers to social surroundings that are separate from home (the first place) and work (the second place). The theory of third place was first proposed in 1989 in a book titled, The Great Good Place by Ray Oldenburg, and it suggests that people (all people, not just artistic people), need a space that exists between home and work where they can become a part of a community and engage in social activities.
In a Third Place, individuals are not required to be anything other than exactly who they are, whereas, at home, people are confined to the roles and needs of the household, and must tend to those responsibilities associated with those roles. Likewise, at work, individuals must often assume roles, characteristics and personas that are required to thrive within the company. Often, people get trapped in cycles of leaving their work roles to assume their home roles, and vice versa, resulting in a sense of loss and frustration that can be hard to combat. Within a third place, there is no pressure to be well-organized, productive or professional. Instead, it is a place where people can just be themselves, meet new people and have fun for no specific reason other than to simply enjoy themselves and the company of like-minded individuals.
On Wednesday, Aug. 16, Starling Musings hosted the first of many Wednesday Art Workshops, and participants enjoyed an evening of unfettered and indiscriminate creativity. Artists took turns sharing art supplies provided by the gallery and listened to a variety of music via song requests. There was a wide array of projects being tackled during the workshop, from oil paintings, photography editing, watercolor paintings and sketching, and all was accompanied with idle banter and much laughter.
“I look forward to coming back for more workshops in the future,” stated one of the artists attending Wednesday's workshop. “This was really fun, I feel like I got a lot done. I have a hard time concentrating at home, but this was really nice.”
Wednesday Workshops take place at 220 W. Washington St. from 6 to 9 p.m., are free to the public, and anyone is welcome to attend. For any questions, contact Starling Musings at starlingmusings@ gmail.com.
For those looking for a little more structure, Starling Musings offers a variety of classes that cover different mediums, and the roster of teachers is ever growing and changing. For those seeking unique and beautiful gift ideas, the gallery space also functions as a gift shop, and many of the art currently on display is available for purchase.
Starling Musings enjoys a strong partnership with the artists they work with, and many resident artists offer personal commissions to customers through the gallery as well! To see what classes they have available this month, or to inquire about how to order a commission, contact the gallery at the email above!