The perfect studio, I found it!
One of the goals I wanted to tackle in 2022 was to find a larger studio in order to make larger work. At the beginning of the year I teamed up with Juliette Lepage Boisdron and Karima Duchamp, two colleagues who were also looking. Our idea was that it might be easier for us to find a bigger space for less money that the three of us could share. Plus it would be fun to work together. We met every week for several months brainstorming and looking at places. Unfortunately, the sleepy border town of St. Louis has just begun a major overhaul. Just like many parts of the world, we were witnessing apartment buildings going up, small businesses disappearing and a demand in real estate. We weren’t having much luck.
As time went on, our personal situations were changing and making us take a pause from the group search. We all landed in the right place – mine happened to be in Lörrach, Germany. My criteria was good light, minimum 80 sq. meters (861 sq.ft) and not more than 30 minutes commute from my house. It goes without saying it also had to be in my budget. I was getting really clear in my vision and the universe delivered.
My dear friend and colleague, Insa Hoffman lives and works in Kandern, Germany. She introduced me to Mr. Kugelmann who is well known among the artists in the area. He stewards a building that was once part of family owned, thread manufacturing business. The Lorrach area has a long history of textile production dating back to the 1700’s. During the decline of the industry the building was repurposed for office use and now studio space for artists and musicians.
We ascended several stairs and walked down a long and a bit sad looking hallway. He opened the door and there was light – huge windows – and space! Of course it would take some elbow grease to get things in order but there was huge potential for it to be perfect. I was smitten.
Here are a few photos of the space the day I saw it.
Here you see the 3 separate rooms that have open doorways into each other. My plan is to use the first office to set up as my design and construction room. This is where I’ll put my sewing machine, ironing board and tall work table. I envision a large “pin wall” where I can pin fabric and analyze the composition from a distance. The floor is perfect for all the fuzz and loose fiber because it can be easily swept and vacuumed.
I will set the 2nd room up into a storage area, work table for painting and finishing, and an open area that I can use for photography, large painting on the floor, and wall to experiment with installation ideas including suspending work from the ceiling.
The 3rd room (currently painted with black and neon including the ceiling) will serve as a library, meeting room, display room and lounge area. It’s hard to envision what that will look like until I can paint it in a more neutral fashion.
There’s a lot of work ahead but I’m looking forward to the challenge. This is a space I can meet the challenge of making larger work and growing as an artist. I am so grateful to find myself here.
