A Tour of My Studio
May 01, 2010
My goal for this site is to record various art related activities. Since most of my time is committed to studio practice, it makes sense to begin there with a brief studio tour.
Studio Entrance and Storage Alcove
My studio space is located on Lake Street in the West Loop, and it is a convenient walk from the Ashland ‘L’ stop. The building is called the Butchershop, and back in its heyday, during the mid 90′s to early 2000′s, they used to throw all sorts of art events and shows. However, at one point they gained too much exposure and the City forced them to tone it down. The Butchershop was showcased in the exhibition Artists Run Chicago at Hyde Park Art Center. I moved into this space in July 2008, well after it was subdivided into its current configuration of workspaces.
North West Corner
The building’s owner runs a machine shop on the ground floor, but he rents out the remaining floors to artists and musicians. The Second and Third floors primarily consist of artist studios, and the Fourth Floor is made up of musicians and screen printers. My studio is on the Third Floor, where there are approximately sixteen work spaces and lots of common space. I would estimate that my workspace is about 300 sq.ft overall, and another 2500 sq. ft of shared space, which is ample for my needs.
North East Corner
I have storage space in an alcove adjacent to my entrance, two main paintings walls, plenty of shelves, and a decent sized window for natural light. The rent is affordable, the heating is kick ass, and I don’t have to pay utilities. My only complaint is that the musicians can get a bit annoying at times, so I try to adhere to daytime working hours when I know that no one is rehearsing.
South West Corner
Not too many people keep daytime studio hours, so it is usually fairly quiet and I often have free reign over the entire space. The common area is great for when you need to spread out. I often use that area to build stretchers or panels, and also to stage works for exhibition and documentation. This studio is ideal for a painter, and I am grateful to have access to such a space.
I guess that is all that I have for now. There are a few more studio shots below, and a couple of the common space areas immediately outside of my studio. The building is much bigger than I have shown, and I’ve only presented the spaces that I utilize the most. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this little tour, and perhaps now many of you will understand why I spend so much time in the studio.
South East Corner
East Wall/ Exit
Common Space/ Building Area
Common Space/ Staging Area
Diggin the (with window) studio …The Hoetaaang and I need to make it up your way ASAP …I’ll try to phone you this weekend about things as well.