A new studio! Workshops! Mentorship Group!

I have big news! Carlos and I are moving into a new studio in Bridgeport CT. We're combining our two studios into one giant shared space and we're beyond excited. The loft is at the Nest Arts Factory at 1720 Fairfield Avenue. It's a vibrant and energetic building full of visual artists and musicians, a really neat antiques market (mixed media heaven!) and plenty of parking. This area of Bridgeport is about a block away from the border of the town of Fairfield and is very conveniently located just off of route 95.

And now for the really exciting part: in addition to teaching workshops in our new studio, I am starting a new mentorship group that will meet at the loft one Saturday a month and I'm holding an Open House on Saturday, June 22. The goal of the mentorship group is to work on the business side of being an artist. Some topics that will be covered in future meetings are:

• writing an artist statement

• taking effective photographs for web and show entry

• using social media to develop your audience

• learning how to approach a gallery

• tips and tricks for getting published in magazines and books

I lead the group in discussion, in exercises, and in challenges, and there is a lot of hands-on work in each meeting where you are working on your art career with the knowledge I'm providing and the discussions that result. If you're looking for a supportive group that will help you boost your career and give you in-depth, industry specific information, this is it.

There will be a small fee for each meeting beginning in July, but the Open House meeting will be free to all. If you're interested, please email me and I'll save a space for you (info at janedavila dot com). I'll also have a class schedule for the summer ready for sign-ups (more info on the blog this week!)

Now on to the photos! These are the "before" views of the loft. This one is from standing in the doorway and looking into the studio toward the windows.

This is from standing in one corner near the windows, looking back into the studio toward the door.

Today we took a hard look at the floor and decided that before we moved any of our things in, that we should paint it. We hopped in the car, located the nearest Home Depot (always a priority anyway), and picked up a couple of gallons of flooring paint in a warm light putty gray. Once we got back to the studio, we taped off the floor with painter's tape and cracked open the cans. I cut in along the walls with a small brush and Carlos rolled the floor. We were done in about an hour and a half and now have to wait overnight for it to dry.

While the floor is still in a "well-loved" state, it is infinitely better with a fresh coat of paint. Hopefully tomorrow we'll hang lights and start assembling our studio furniture.

Stay tuned for more progress reports from the Nest.  ~ Jane