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Posted 22 January 2021 | art, bay city, class, elevate, local gallery, workshop

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 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 7 November 2020 | art, art center, art gallery, bay city, community, shop local, shop small, support, thank you

Thankful in November

I love seeing the fall colors. The fresh crisp air and beautiful deep hues of gold, orange and reds. Bay City has had some great views this season! This time of year is for reflection as we come upon the Thanksgiving holiday.

Painting by Ruth Howell, Studio 23 Instructor

Here at Studio 23 we have a lot to be thankful for.

Throughout the pandemic, our staff has worked hard to make sure we were engaging our community. For 2020 we set the intention of our theme word as ENGAGE. I know we are all proud to say that we did continue to engage virtually and now again in person at the studio.

While we were working from home we began to apply for funding to support our operations. We are very fortunate to receive funding from Bay Future/DOW, Michigan Council of Arts and Culture Affairs COVID Fund, MI Restart Program, Bay Community Foundation PPE Grant and Payroll Protection Program. These funds allowed us to keep our staff working at home and then prepare the studio to open to the public. We are taking every precaution we can to make sure we have a safe environment for you to create in.

We have made upgrades to our website to share our social media content even if you don’t have a FB account. You can view our main page and scroll through our feed. Autumn, Val and I continue to research the best ways to share videos and artist information with you. Every Friday we do live videos featuring our 50 Artists of the Great Lakes Bay Region. You listen to an artist talk, see a fun family project and then see an artist demo. We relate everything to the featured artist of the week. If you see our content please give us a share! That way more people in our community can enjoy the local artistic talent we have.

I’d like to give a special thank you to artist and community member, Avram Golden. For Avram’s birthday this year he started a fundraiser on his FaceBook page to support us here at Studio 23. Through his birthday celebration he raised over $700 to support our mission of making the arts relevant and accessible to all. Thank you Avram for being a support of the arts and especially a supporter of Bay City!

As you begin your holiday shopping I hope you consider supporting Studio 23 and our local businesses in Bay City. In our Off the Wall Boutique we have many great gift options like; bowls, platters, wood vases, scarfs, cards and more! We are happy to gift wrap all items for you. A gift certificate to the studio also makes the perfect stocking stuffer. Our small businesses are gearing up for holiday weekends and our Downtown has many events planned. Join the merchants for Merry Little Weekend, November 13-15 and then Sundays in the City which will be announced very soon.

If you must do your holiday shopping online, please consider starting at SMILE.amazon.com. With SMILE you can support Studio 23 while you use your prime benefits. With every purchase Amazon donates a percentage of that gift to Studio 23. Just make sure you click us as your designated nonprofit.

Thank you for believing in the power of ART.

Sincerely,

Tara Welch, Executive Director