Studios Inc, located in East Crossroads, sponsors a three-year residency program for mid-career artists who are accepted to the program. The organization recognizes the challenges of artists who are established and still in need of support. Director Courtney Wasson explains the need and benefit for this kind of collaboration.
There is so much emphasis on “makers” and space for new artists and creatives, what are the challenges for mid-career artists of which people may be unaware?
A mid-career artist can roughly be defined by age and experience. Their work has a developed style or language and they usually have gained regional or national recognition via exhibitions or publication. The challenge many mid-career artists face is maintaining recognition and continued growth. Another challenge is securing financial support whether through sales, grants, or direct patronage. Without this financial support, many artists struggle to maintain an active and productive studio practice.
How does Studios Inc respond to these challenges?
The three-year residency program at Studios Inc provides free studio space, exhibition opportunities, marketing, and professional networking for mid-career artists accepted into the program.
I love that the studio spaces at Studios Inc are large and allow artists opportunity to explore and create in ways that may have been limited previously.
Is there a benefit in shared work space? Does a camaraderie develop among the artists who are in the studios?
In general, I believe community is important; it’s where we find support, feedback, and encouragement. Our artists definitely develop a camaraderie due to the length of the residency program. Several times a year we host Open Studios events for the public and patrons. This is a chance to visit an artist’s space and see their creative process. We believe it’s important to have these opportunities for people to develop relationships and engage in conversation.
If you had three wishes to improve the space or the artists’ opportunities, what would they be?
I have many wishes! But let’s say goals, because goals can be accomplished. My first goal is to continue to maintain and build on the organization’s foundation and mission to support mid-career artists. The next goal is to improve our physical facilities with better lighting, heating, and cooling, the creation of community-use areas—the list goes on. My final goal, one that is on every non-profit director’s wish list, it is to increase our funding through patronage. The local arts community was instrumental in the economic revival of Kansas City’s Crossroads and downtown, and I believe the arts have the power to continue to impact and grow our city.
Studio Inc’s exhibitions are free and open to the public. Check their website for artists and events.
Two of Studio Inc.’s Extension Program Artists:
Patty Carroll
Patty Carroll’s photographs address women and domestic status by camouflaging the figure in drapery or domestic objects. Carroll has taught photography for many years and has returned to the studio to delight viewers with her sense of humor and critique of home life. “They are installations made in the studio for the camera that play with color, space, and scale, and use household objects as subject matter. I am photographically creating worlds that debunk, critique, and satirize myths of domestic, claustrophobic perfection.”
Debra Smith
Debra Smith is a Hannibal native and KCAI grad with a B.F.A in textiles and an Associate Degree in Applied Science from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York who works with vintage textiles. “I am not a poet or someone who draws, but I feel that my use of vintage textiles as a medium brings a history, a weight, and a poetry to the work before I even begin to cut, sew, and piece the work back together.”