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Posted 9 April 2021 | art, art center, classes, collaboration, community, gallery, membership, studio 23

Our members made an impact!

Collaboration within our community is really important to us at Studio 23. Beginning in January this year, our membership committee created a Membership Drive that would give back to two nonprofits in our region. As I hope you know, Studio 23 has been a registered nonprofit for over 60 years. We were founded in 1959 by a group of artists and community members who wanted a space for artists to display their work.

Studio 23 is a part of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and a local Rotary Club. It is a great way for us to network and to know what others are working on. With our connections we reached out to the Bay Area Women’s Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters to collaborate with us for our Membership Drive. Happily they both accepted and we got to work!

With each new member and renewing member we donated a Craft Bar packet to a child in their care. What is a Craft Bar packet? It is an art project that has step by step instructions with all of the art supplies in one convenient packet for you to use. We sell our Craft Bar packets during open gallery hours and they make a perfect project for you to gift or to create on your own!

We set a lofty goal of 100 members in three months. Well, we came really close at 87 members and we are proud to say we still donated 100 Craft Bar packets to children through Bay Area Women’s Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Last Friday, we dropped off the donations and here is how they impacted the organizations:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Great Lakes Bay Region has a mission of creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Their vision to help all youth achieve their full potential. Last week I got to sit down with Rachel Sprunger who is one of two Bay County Match Coordinators, and discussed the impact of the Craft Bar Packets.

“Being able to do arts and crafts is wonderful for our littles. It helps keep them creative and focused. With art they can have a creative outlet and it helps them grow and find their strengths” – Rachel told me how art really makes an impact on the littles. The packets will be porch drop offs that the littles and bigs can do virtually together. We can’t wait to see what they create!

Big Brother Big Sisters is always looking for BIGs. There are currently about 12 littles in Bay County who are waiting for a match. BBBS receives referrals of littles from our school system and has a partnership with the Dow Bay Area Family Y. For more information about becoming a Big or referring a little contact BBBS at 844-4BE-ABIG or visit our website https://bbbsgreatlakesbay.org/.

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The mission of the Bay Area Women’s Center is to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault. BAWC provides free-of-charge crisis intervention, advocacy and safe haven to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault; and violence prevention education to the community; while actively pursuing social change.

I got to speak with Maggie Pickering who is a Sexual Assualt Therapist and Jeremy Rick who is the Executive Director of the Bay Area Women’s Center. The Craft Bar Packets will be given to their clients who are in their shelter. Maggie said that “art has a therapeutic power and it helps her work with clients”. They provide therapy services in person and virtual.

“Anytime we can expose our kids to something positive and fun, we can help them better”, says Jeremy. Their goals at the shelter are to help empower the children to keep them safe. A lot of times when families come to the shelter, the children feel guilty for their situation. Art can help them erase the guilt as they work with their therapists to better themselves and their family.

It was such a pleasure to donate these art packets to two organizations who will benefit. Art is a wonderful thing and now it can help these children be empowered and get creative. With your support as members, these kids were gifted the joy of art!

Thank you for reading along and sharing art with our community! You can sign up to be a member today by visiting: https://www.studio23baycity.org/membership/

Sincerely,

Tara Welch

Executive Director

twelch23@studio23baycity.org

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Spring is coming!

We were chatting as staff here at Studio 23 and we are shocked with how quickly time is going! April is here and we are prepping for our Summer Art Camps, Summer Solstice event and even the Chalk Walk Art Festival.

Exhibition: Land To River, A collaboration with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and sponsored by Waste Management.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood to take a Plein Air Painting Class with Artist/Instructor Ruth Howell.
Ruth will guide you through painting outdoor scenes in plein air. The class will cover supplies, equipment and tips to paint outside. Artists are encouraged to work in a painting medium such as watercolor, oil, acrylic or pen and ink.

This workshop will run rain or shine- shine will get us outside and rain will keep us painting from the stage windows inside Studio 23.

Saturday, April 24th 10am-1pm

The social season is upon us! Grab your friends and join Studio 23 for a Bridgerton inspired paint night. Each attendee will learn how to paint a custom wooden tea-cup holder while enjoying a night out. And because you’re creating it yourself, you’ll be able to personalize your own colors selections.

You bring your beverage of choice and we will provide pizza, breadsticks, and all the supplies you need to complete this beautiful cup holder!

Thursday, April 29th 6-9pm

by Autumn Reyes

Posted 27 March 2021 | art, artist, classes, classroom, drawing, events, painting

Art Ed with Autumn: Upcoming Workshops

We have some very exciting workshops coming up at Studio 23! First up, we have our children’s spring break art camp. Ms. Sue has a whole itinerary planned and her student artists we make passports to travel the globe learning about art from around the world. This camp starts on Monday however, there are a few seats available and if you’re interested you’ll want to register today!

Next up we have an en plein air workshop with artist Ruth Howell. Ruth has been teaching our acrylic class for a few years now and to know her is to love her. Ruth is a wealth of knowledge and truly enjoys sharing that knowledge with her students. Ruth will guide you through painting outdoor scenes en plein air. The class will cover supplies, equipment and tips to paint outside. Artists are encouraged to work in a painting medium such as watercolor, oil, acrylic or pen and ink. This workshop runs on April 24^th and is filling up fast- seats are limited so you’ll want to sign up soon!

The next workshop we’re offering is mixed media with artist Misty Coss. Misty has been creating in mixed media since she was a child but, really started refining and honing her skills as she worked towards her bachelor’s degree at SVSU. Misty’s workshop will offer a variety of techniques to help springboard your journey in Mixed Media. In this workshop you will work on process-based projects that will allow the students to create their artwork and develop new techniques to incorporate into their skillset. The course will also encourage thoughtful choices of material and enhance the process of using the materials to conceptualize themes. The project is a portrait-themed project. Great to create a photo of yourself or loved one. And while everyone is working on portraits, the sky is really the limit when working in mixed media. This workshop runs Saturday May 22^nd and you can register online or by phone.

We’re also offering a new featured Sip ‘N’ Swirl based on the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. We’ll be spillin’ the tea and painting the night away. Grab your friends and enjoy a night out while you create with us!

Lastly, I want to mention our summer art camp program. We’re taking registration for all of our summer art camps and let me just say… y’all are going to be so excited! Ms. Sue has been busy planning some fun, educational, and down-right cool projects for these sessions. Our in-studio art camp runs 8:30-3:30pm.You’ll have some fun with Ms. Sue while you learn some great art techniques and history! You’ll use all different art mediums, so be prepared to paint, draw, mold, and everything in between!

I hope you’re as excited as I am about these upcoming workshops and I can’t wait to update you on more summer workshops in my next installment. And if there’s a workshop you’d like us to offer please send me an email- I’d love to hear from you!

Autumn Reyes

Education Coordinator

Studio 23/The Arts Center

Curator’s Clipboard: Connecting Collectors with Artists

by Val Allen

Posted 20 March 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibit, exhibits, gallery

Curator’s Clipboard: Connecting Collectors with Artists

The Story of a Painting

You may have read the bumper sticker saying EARTH without ART is simply EH! Well, this is a story about the word HEART and how when we follow our heART we can end up with Art with a capital A! Read this incredible story written by a new collector about her recent acquisition of a painting by Rosemary Kavanagh commissioned during Rosemary’s My Bay City Family Tree exhibit.

“Hello, my name is Ericka and I am here to tell you about how wonderful and creative the universe really is!

In order to correctly tell the story, I have to take us back to the 2018 Black & White Affair at Studio 23. My sister, best friend and I were gifted tickets to go. It was a beautiful event and we all felt so lovely dressed up, sipping on bubbly and gazing at spectacular art. Vowing we have to come to this event again.

Artwork credit in photo: Tisch Mikhail Lewis Photograph taken by Rosemary Kavanagh

Fast forward to summer 2020, Rachel (sister) and I started embarking on a yoga journey that takes place at Carroll Park. There are a few other women who regularly show up and we started to recognize faces after awhile. One of those faces belonged to Tara Welch, executive director of Studio 23. We didn’t chat much but always shared a smile. One day my yoga teacher sent me a photograph. It was of Rachel, my best friend, and I at the Black and White Affair! I was shocked and filled with excitement when seeing it. When I asked where it came from, she informed me that Tara from yoga class had sent it to her after seeing it on Facebook and recognized my sister and I. Luckily I saw Tara at yoga the next day and I inquired on who snapped it!? She filled me in that it was a woman named Rosemary Kavanagh who took the photograph. Rosemary was reminiscing on Facebook about joy-filled pre-Covid days and had posted the photograph. Tara also told me about Rosemary being not only a photographer but an amazing artist and how she comes from the Carroll family lineage here in Bay City.

About 7 weeks ago I decided to join the Sunday morning yoga class at Studio 23, and during that class I was surrounded by beautiful oil paintings of someone’s family. Each pose and different views of the paintings were transcending me to times of the past and I fell in love with the style of the portraits. The more I stared, the more the little dots in my head started connecting together and I suddenly realized who painted these portraits. The name in the corner stated Rosemary Kavanagh and I began to believe that this was the same woman who snapped that picture of us!

After class I approached Tara about it and she confirmed my suspicions. I knew in that moment that Rosemary had to create an oil painting inspired by the photograph of us she captured.

I have always wanted to be transform into a work of art. Being a fellow artist myself, this is such a dream come true. Having my sister and soulmate next to me is icing on the cake. My sister and I decided to go in on the painting and will be sharing joint custody of it!

In this photograph now rendered as an oil painting on linen, I was at a time in my life when I felt truly beautiful inside and out. I had lost 80 pounds, cut my hair the shortest it had ever been and was regaining the love for my soul. In the back was a painting I resonated with too, a face-less plus-size woman with short hair and standing confident in the mirror, nude. I felt her, I saw her, I am her.

The smile oozing across my face says it all in the painting, love thyself.

Gratitude for the universe working its magic, you just have to believe.

Written by Ericka DeFord

Thank you Ericka, for sharing this heart-felt story with us. We look forward to hearing the history of Rosemary Kavanagh’s painting as it travels from your home to your sister’s while you share it through the years. I am very happy and honored that we at Studio 23 could do our part to help facilitate this project.

For more information on our Artist Referral Program please contact me at vallen@studio23baycity.org.

Please join us Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5 – 7 pm for the opening of Land To River. We will go live on Facebook at 6 pm for our virtual audience.

Thank you to Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy for collaborating with us.

Thank you to Waste Management for sponsoring this exhibit.

Congratulations to all the artists.

This invitational exhibit includes the artwork of Mark Bleshenski, Zachary Branigan, Alex Gilford, Frits Hoendervanger, Erwin Lewandowski, Alan Maciag, John Sabraw, and Larry VanSteenhouse.

Click here for complete information of the exhibit.

We are looking forward to welcoming more visitors into our galleries and classrooms this spring. We continue to maintain our gallery and classrooms safely, wear masks and social distance. Our hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm. Please stop in!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

by Autumn Reyes

Posted 4 March 2021 | art, art center, artist, classes, classroom, studio 23

Art Ed with Autumn: Youth Art Month

Hello friends!

It’s hard to believe it’s already March, isn’t it? It still feels like January in my mind.

If you’re familiar with Studio 23, you know we offer a large variety of children’s classes. We offer children’s art, teen art, and even clay for kids. Not to mention the various children’s workshops we offer throughout the year. If you’ve seen our social media presence, you know we love to share all of our student’s hard work. But, because March is national youth art month, we have even more reason to share our children’s art and programming with you. So every week we will give you a glimpse into our children’s art classes through social media. We’ll show you what our students are working on and completed projects. This is just another way for us to celebrate our young students who love creating at Studio 23. You may also notice the hashtag #YAM (Short for Youth Art Month) being used this month. This is another way we can showcase all the hard work of our young artists. If you have a young artist at home we encourage to use #YAM, as well. We ALWAYS love to see what our students are working on!

#YAM

On that note, just a reminder that we are offering our Spring Break Art Camp this year! Camp is ideal for 7-12 year olds and runs March 29th through April 2nd from 8:30-3:30 and cost is only $160 for members $190 for non-members. If you’re student is interested you’ll want to give us a call right away as seating is very limited for this camp.

We also have our Summer Art Camps posted on our website and we’re taking registration. These camps are so fun… your student will spend the week with Ms. Sue immersing themselves in all things art! It’s such a fun week- a great time is had by all!

Summer Art Camp

Oh, and I have one more #YAM related reminder for you. Our Teenworks & Kids Creation virtual exhibit is going on now! Don’t miss the chance to check out some stunning artwork from our Bay City schools!

I hope you and the young artists in your life find some time to create or engage in art!

See you next month,

Autumn Reyes, Education Coordinator

by Val Allen

Posted 20 February 2021 | art, art gallery, exhibits

Curator’s Clipboard: A Closer Look

As a curator, I’m very optimistic that this year we will see the return to more events in the gallery both live and virtually. Our plan is to have hybrid components so that all will feel comfortable and have the opportunity to view the art and meet the artists. In reality, what was seen as problems have blossomed into more robust programming options and better communication. The best place to view all events centered around the exhibitions are on our Studio23/The Arts Center Facebook Page and on our website. Here is a closer look at each exhibition for 2021.

Rosemary Kavanagh’s My Bay City Family Tree will close at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. We recently had a very special Valentine’s event, Love Letters from World War II. This was a hybrid event with both live and virtual components. I interviewed Rosemary in front of live audience and we broadcasted on Facebook and Instagram live. Rosemary read two of her father’s letters to her mother from very historic moments in World War II history. I’m inserting that video here for you. It is about 30 minutes.

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 (online March 1, 2021) will be virtual for 2021. We have had over 130 entries to be included from Bay County art students. These entries were posted by art teachers, parents, grandparents, family and friends of students, and the students themselves. We are overwhelmed by the response. The online gallery will go live on March 1st and we will have a chance for all the students who entered to win art-related prizes. These prizes will be announced on Facebook and we will notify the winners by email. Let us know how you like the online exhibit as it will remain on our website for 2021.

Land To River (March 25 – May 15, 2021) is a collaboration with the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and sponsored by Waste Management. This invitational exhibit explores the role of artists as communicators, explorers, and environmentalists. Each artist brings their own interpretations to Studio 23 that range from visually capturing nature in paintings and carvings, to bringing awareness to our environment through installation statements , the use of reclaimed materials and photojournalism. The invited artists are Mark Bleshenski, Zachary Branigan, Alex Gilford, Frits Hoendervanger, Erwin Lewandowski, Alan Maciag, John Sabraw, and Larry VanSteenhouse.

Public reception is March 25, 2021, 5 pm- 7 pm.

New Year, New Opportunities

Elevate the ARTS in 2021

We all know that 2020 was not the year any of us expected. With the many challenges it gave us and we are still working through, certain things stayed true. The visual arts are an important pillar in our communities and everyday life. You connected with us virtually, by watching artist demos, tours of studio spaces and creating your own artwork at home. Now as we move into 2021, we want to continue to Elevate the Arts. Our word of the year is to elevate. Working together we can elevate arts education, elevate local artists and elevate public art.

You are reading this blog, because you believe in the power of art. I hope to see you in our galleries, taking a class, or walking around town looking at Art Around the City. Studio 23 has a lot planned for 2021. First, we are kicking off the year with our 100 Day project on January 31st. Then with a full year of exhibits, we will be celebrating a variety of art styles, like watercolor, photography, environmental and more. Our education programming has expanded with Mixed Media options and drawing options. All of our classrooms and gallery space are compliant with the current executive orders.

We made changes this year to our in person sessions to make our space safe. Thanks to a grant from the Bay Area Community Foundation we were able to purchase air purifiers, sanitizer and masks for our classrooms and gallery. PPE funds wasn’t the only area we needed support this past year. Operational costs were supported by emergency grants with state and federal support. Studio 23 received support from the Payroll Protection Program, Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Bay Area Community Foundation, MI Restart Program, Bay Future and Saginaw Future. Without the emergency funds, our operations would have looked much different. Thank you to all of these organizations for recognizing and support the arts and culture in our community.

This year Studio 23 is counting on you for our membership program. Membership provides annual support to our gallery space that helps guarantee we can be a vibrant part of our community. During the months of January, February and March, each membership you purchase will support children in our community. We are partnering with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of the GLBR and the Bay Area Women’s Center to provide Craft Bar packets to children. Craft Bar packets are an art activity that comes with all supplies and step by step instructions. We are thrilled to be offering this incentive for our community to join or renew their memberships with Studio 23. Not only do you make a difference to the local arts, but you will make a direct impact on a child, giving them the gift of art.

Let’s ELEVATE the arts in 2021. Take a class, walk through the galleries or go outside to see Art Around the City.

Thank you,

Tara Welch, Executive Director

To read our full newsletter please visit: Winter Newsletter 2021

Upcoming Events

Check out our full listing of classes here: Winter 2021 Class Offerings

Sunday, January 24th at 10am

Yoga INDOORS at Studio 23/The Arts Center
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Once a month, we will host a yoga class (appropriate for all levels) at Studio 23 to relax, have fun, and raise a little extra money for the Arts Center.
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Classes will be in the art gallery, so you’ll have a chance to see the current exhibits the same day. Class is $12 each, and $2 will go to Studio 23.
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January 24 at 10 am: Rosemary Kavanagh Exhibit: A History of Bay City
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Note: Due to state regulations, masks will be required for this event. Space is limited so please register ahead of time to secure your spot!
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Please bring your own yoga mat or beach towel and any other props you’ll need to be comfortable. If this is your first time taking a class with Kirsten Marie, you’ll need to fill out a quick release form before class starts.

https://form.jotform.com/202734222700038

We are in our third year of 100 days of art making! The ground rules are simple and the reward is developing a creative habit that will last the rest of the year.

Here are the steps to make a committment for 2021.

1. Create a project and dedicate 5-10 minutes a day to that project. This project can change as you navigate through the 100 days but it will be the guiding theme.

Our word of the year for 2021 is “Elevate”. You are welcome to have that as a focus for your project but it is not required.

2. Share your progress online in our private Facebook group that is being developed specifically for the 2021 group.

3. Attend virtual check-ins as a way to support, chat and collaborate with the other 100 Dayers!

https://cdn.jotfor.ms/curator.studio23/application-for-studio-23s-the-100-

February 12th and 13th from 11am – 5pm

Join Studio 23, along with Downtown Bay City Merchants for the Indulge weekend! Shop and make purchases to win prizes at participating local shops.

Studio 23 is offering a special Valentine themed Craft Bar. Choose from six different projects to create in Studio or take home. With each purchase you have the chance to win a $10 gift certificate for a future purchase.
Craft Bar packets range from $5 to $25 for each craft.

We will be releasing the new Craft Bar activities in the beginning of February!!

Saturday, February 13th from 2pm – 4pm

Join artist Rosemary Kavanagh as she shares her precious inheritance of family correspondence between her father and mother during the war years. This is the perfect event for the day before Valentine’s. The letters, Valentine’s and Christmas cards will be on display. Rosemary will be reading excerpts at various times during the afternoon event. You can then view portraits painted by Rosemary in her solo exhibition that will be on display thru March 10, 2021

by Autumn Reyes

Posted 30 December 2020 | art, artist, classes, painting

Art Education with Autumn

Starting in 2021 we’re going to feature a Studio 23 artist/student and the work that they’re doing. We’re starting with our artist friend Diane Arendt.

Art Student of the Month: Diane Arendt

I sat down with Diane a few weeks ago to talk art, her art background, and life in general. Diane has been taking art classes at Studio 23 since 2015. Her main concentration being acrylic painting. You’ve probably seen her beautiful art work up on the walls of Studio 23, as she has been in many exhibits over the years.

Diane actually started creating at a young age. She studied art in college and worked a side job like so many students do. Diane’s side job was at a dentist office and one day while assisting the dentist she met a patient named Larry. Little did she know, she had just met her husband. Diane and Larry were married and started a family. Like so many of us, her art was put on the back burner. Diane spent many beautiful years raising her son, volunteering, and overcoming health issues. But, as her son grew older Diane knew she was ready to dive in to her art again. She started taking classes at Studio 23 as refresher courses but, has really stayed for the comradery with like-minded artists. Diane told me she is constantly learning from painting with others because she gets new perspectives all the time- ideas she never would have considered, otherwise.

Interviewing Diane and hearing her fascinating story of life and art, I learned that her major concentration in college was actually multimedia art. She also talked of her love for Norman Rockwell. How she admires his realism. She very much appreciates his ability to “say something” with his art. When we were done talking I really just had one question for her… “What would you say to someone who’s considering taking an art class at studio 23?” Her response was quick and sure, “Do it. Do it!! You’ll be in a great environment, you’ll learn more than you ever knew you could and you’ll make friends along the way.”

If you’re like Diane and you’re ready to dive into art, you can give us a call at Studio 23/The Arts Center or sign up online. www.studio23baycity.org. Winter classes start the first week of February so sign up today!

by Val Allen

Posted 21 December 2020 | art, art gallery, exhibits

Curator’s Clipboard: Welcome 2021 at Studio 23!

2020 – A year of Pivots

2021 – A year of Moving Forward

Looking back our team here at Studio 23 made the best of a situation during 2020. We all had each others back and we all knew when one of us was down, the others were there to energize and encourage. The best part was when we reopened in June and each day we could begin planning for times that would be better. Thank you to everyone who continued to visit and show support for our exhibitions we had the remainder of 2020.

Our current exhibition, Rosemary Kavanagh’s My Bay City Family Tree will be extended until March 10, 2021. During the month of January 2021 you can view the exhibit by appointment only. February 2021 we return to our regular hours of Tuesday–Saturday, 11 am – 5 pm.

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 will be virtual for 2021. Our Bay County art teachers are doing all they can to keep creativity alive in their classes as they work virtually. After a survey was completed by the teachers, we realized that our annual student exhibit would go virtual this year.

We are keeping it simple and easy for students and their parents to send images of artwork via this application with the intent that we produce a virtual exhibition complete with an online gallery for the students that include high school, middle school, and elementary school.

Here is a flyer that will take you to the application and we encourage you to spread the word for students to participate. We are planning a contest where each student’s name that submitted an image will be included in a drawing for art-related gifts.

Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project

Our next step to finding optimism and purpose as visual artists for 2021 is the start of our annual Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project. We started Studio 23’s The 100 Day Project in 2018 and I used a book by Twyla Tharp to connect the dots for motivation. Today, I am reminded of a quote from her book, The Creative Habit, that stated, “Remember this when you’re struggling for a big idea. You’re much better off scratching for a small one.” With that in mind, I’m happy to announce that our third year of The 100 Day Project is about to begin!

I will host a Zoom information session on Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 1:00pm. Click here for the Facebook event to attend. This session will introduce the new features and procedures for our 2021 project. If you are new to The 100 Day Project or a past participant you will find that this session can be the refresh button for your art practice.

There is a penny a day ($10.00) subscription for current members of Studio 23/The Arts Center. If you are not a member of Studio 23 and would like to participate it is a total of $50/$40 seniors 60+ which includes your subscription and a one year membership into both Studio 23/The Arts Center and Studio 23 Artists Collective.

This year we will be starting a Private Facebook Group specifically for 2021. Your subscription includes five Zoom sessions for Day 1, 25, 50, 75, and 100 that are designed to keep momentum running high! For more information contact me at curator.studio23@gmail.com. You can also go ahead and apply by submitting this application.

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION:

ANNOUNCING STUDIO 23 EXHIBITION SCHEDULE FOR 2021

Teenworks and Kids’ Kreations 2021 goes Virtual!

ONLINE GALLERY OPENS MARCH 1, 2021

Teenworks & Kids’ Kreations celebrates the artwork created by students attending art classes throughout Bay County. This is a wonderful opportunity to see their imaginative art displayed in a virtual exhibition in the online gallery on our website.

Land to River

March 25 – MAY 15, 2021

This invitational exhibit features artists as communicators, explorers and environmentalists. This is a collaboration between Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy and Studio 23.

Virtual reception: Thursday, March 25, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Painters and Potters 2021

May 27 – July 10, 2021

This annual exhibit showcases the artwork created by the talented students and instructors of Studio 23 during the 2020–2021 terms. You are invited to meet the artists and instructors, plus learn more about our education programs during the reception.

Virtual reception: Thursday, May 27, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Afterglow: Immediately after reception

Bonnie Lalley, artist and illustrator

July 22 – September 11, 2021

Bonnie Lalley is a full-time artist, illustrator, and art instructor at Delta College. She lives in the countryside by choice, as flora and fauna are the motifs she loves best. Her 100-year-old home and studio in the Thumb reflect her aesthetic with vintage colors and patinas.

Gallery Reception: Friday, July 30, 2021 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Chalk Walk Art Festival 2021

August 14, 2021

This annual festival features chalk art, live music, art market and food vendors on the sidewalks of historic Downtown Bay City near Wenonah Park.

50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region

September 23 – November 13, 2021

This eight-week exhibit showcases the works of 50 artists selected by a jury of experts in visual art and community leaders from the region. The Great Lakes Bay Region includes the counties of Arenac, Bay, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw.

Gallery Reception: Thursday, September 23, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Richard VanNostrand Photography

November 27, 2021 – January 8, 2022

This exhibition includes photographs by award-winning Bay City photographer Richard VanNostrand. The family collection includes themes of nature, history, sports and community.

Public Reception: November 27, 2021, 2:00 – 4:00pm

Featured exhibition for Black & White Affair: Friday, December 10, 2021

Your support of all of the programming we did for 2020 such as our Friday Live Videos, Virtual Summer Solstice and MI Artists All-State Virtual Reception is much appreciated and I am grateful! The overwhelming response to our Black & White Art Auction was icing on the cake for 2020. We cannot do any of this without all of our members, artists, sponsors, and 50 Art Advocates contributions. Many thanks and I look forward to future projects in 2021!

Kind regards,

Val

Valerie Allen, curator

Studio 23 is part of the Amazon Smile gives program for nonprofits. Please consider using this when ordering from at smile.amazon.com and choose Studio 23 as your nonprofit.

by Autumn Reyes

Posted 28 November 2020 | art, art center, art gallery, bay city, classes, community, drawing, Healthy, Safety, support, workshops

Art Education with Autumn

As I was sitting at home last night working on homework I was having a terrible time concentrating. It makes sense, right? There’s quite a bit of uncertainty in the world right now and it just has to have an effect on us… it can’t not! I found myself grabbing a sheet of scrap paper and moving between doodling and homework. Next thing I know, I’m getting my work done.

See, as I’ve grown older I’ve realized that doodling/creating/artmaking is not just fun and not just another distraction. It’s a great way to help us relax and refocus.

My homework doodles- clearly I was hungry!

So, how does creating benefit your mental health and how can Studio 23 help?

Well, Malaka Gharib, a journalist for NPR, found that in between daily tasks she was always doodling. To find out why she enjoyed doodling so much and what effects it had upon her brain, Gharib spoke with Girija Kaimal, a professor and researcher in art therapy at Drexel University. Kaimal conducted an experiment where blood flow to the brain of a variety of participants was measured. They found that when subjects created there was an increased amount of blood flow to the reward center of the brain. This would suggests that creating art stimulates the reward center of the brain.

In another experiment, subjects were asked to create art for 45 minutes in a studio with an art therapist. During this time, cortisol levels significantly lowered. Additionally, they found “no differences in health outcomes between people who identify as experienced artists and people who don’t.”

What this information suggests to me is right now, during a pandemic, we need to create more than ever. This is why Studio 23 has been offering art classes and virtual art lessons that you can easily follow. I make it a point to post fun, easy projects that don’t require a bunch of fancy art supplies. Because it doesn’t matter what products you use or what your result is- it’s the act of creating that helps center us.

I hope this inspires you to keep healthy and create something today!

Autumn Reyes, Education Coordinator

If you’d like to read more on that study, here’s the link!

Posted in my office space to inspire me! 🙂

by Megan Koch

Posted 24 November 2020

Policy Updates, 11/24/2020

COVID Update for Studio 23/The Arts Center

November 24, 2020

Dear Patrons,

Last week Studio 23 had our monthly board meeting and many discussions to find a solution to keep everyone safe after the new COVID order was released. Our board and staff are dedicated to our mission of keeping the arts relevant and accessible to all, and we want to keep our art center open to you to create.

Beginning today, November 24th, we are implementing these new policies and reminding everyone of current policies:

– Masks are required at all times inside our galleries and classrooms.

– Keep socially distant from others.

– Galleries and retail space are setting the capacity at 10 individuals at a time.

– K–8 programming will remain in person for the final two weeks of classes. Please be sure to check with your instructor or call us with any questions.

– All adult classes have been postponed, unless they were already virtual. Virtual classes will continue as scheduled.

– All open-studio times must be signed up for in advance.

– We are allowing people from two households in a classroom at a time.

Some of our previously scheduled events are changing as a result of the new order:

– Please join us virtually on November 28th for our next artist reception. Rosemary Kavanagh features painted portraits of her family relating to Bay City’s history. She will be guiding us through a tour for you to view live on Facebook. After the tour, we will post the video to our website and YouTube channel.

– Rosemary Kavanagh’s exhibit will still open to the public on November 28th with the new guidelines in place. We encourage you to set up an appointment if you would like to view the exhibit privately. Our public exhibit hours are: Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 5pm, beginning on Saturday, November 28th.

– Our online Black & White auction opens at 12:00 p.m. on November 28th. Please consider supporting Studio 23 and local artists by bidding on auction items. All items can be viewed at: www.32auctions.com/studio23baycity

– The dinner portion of the Black & White fundraiser has been canceled. We appreciate everyone’s support during our annual fundraising time.

We know that these new policies are going to be an adjustment. Please be patient with us as we put art and your safety first.

Please reach out to me with any questions through phone or email.

studio23.Executive.Director@gmail.com | 989-894-2323