A grand Atelier

Johanna touring us through the studio

For those of you who follow this blog you know I suffer from Studio Envy. So I was very interested to see the new Todd Bolender center for Dance and Creativity. This is the new work place for the Kansas City Ballet, the studios, administrative, costume, scenic, storage area where magic happens. It is located in near the Union Station and is a fine example of repurposing. The building was originally a Power plant.

It has been gutted and turned into a wonderful place for the study and support of dance.
Here follow just a few pictures of a different type of studio than I normally talk about.

Front desk

Entry Hall

The largest practice studio. There are 3 others on this floor.

sound booth and stadium seating in the large studio 

Now a chance to look and see where the costumes are made and maintained.

Johanna at the cutting table

Displayed costumes from the early days of the KC Ballet.

Everything seems very up to date in Kansas City. It is a city that has truly stepped up to support the arts this year.

Lively artists/ Artists Atelier/studios

Some people walk by their neighbors homes at night and enjoy the warm lights through the windows of families gathering and living their life. I enjoy the idea of  lights and windows reflecting the industrious long hours of artists working in thier studios. I am beginning a series of artists I know and admire and the studios in which they work. First off let me say my studio is not yet realized but it is much better. I have moved from  a corner of the basement shared with my cats to a refurbished small basement bedroom vacated happily by my daughter (she moved on to her adult life). So this is not my dream studio I have more visions. One of my favorite books is Alexander Liebermans' "The Artist in His Studio". Let me show you a glimpse of Paul Cezannes' last studio.

I recently had the great fortune of visiting the Colorado Studio of Joellyn Duesberry, see my Feb. 13, 2010 posting -"With love/Out and About". A friend of mine purchased a painting of Ms. Duesberry's and we went to her studio. She has a lovely small barn in south Denver. Her house and garden are a few steps away.I love to see the materials an artist uses for researching the work which they do. My friend giddy with the difficult decision of selecting a painting. (Here's the secret she loves them all). So now you have seen glimpses of a working artists studio and I hope to introduce you to more Colorado artists and their studios in the months to come. Cheers and heres to you and your studio!