My New Studio

I finally managed to get a studio here in Jackson, MS!
It's just a couple rooms that I share with another girl but I'm really enjoying the space so far though I really need to figure out something for ventilation. Below are images of my sections of the studio. 

Yes, I know the images above are a little funky but I had to get creative. Just starting out as an artist I find myself very limited in resources (but I'm sure that's just the nature of any venture). The up side of this is that it forces me to come up with creative solutions. So, I can only use my 50mm lens (because it's the only one I have) which makes taking wide angled shots impossible to catch in small spaces. So I tend to just stitch my images together in photoshop. The effect can be unexpectedly nice.

Midtown is a small, fringe community of artists and artisan businesses located next to the Fondren arts district and Millsaps College. A former haunting ground of hookers and druggies (just kidding… kinda…) Midtown has become a starting point for revitalization in the downtown Jackson community. The Hangar is a newly acquired building for Midtown Partners, Inc.  (a business dedicated to the revitalization of the community) and it's not the greatest, but it's on its way. 

My neighbors are pretty awesome with Purple Word Center for the Book and Paper Arts founded by Sandra Murchison downstairs, along with Midcity Print with Ian Hanson and Leslie Galloway. I also have a studio mate Nora Costley, but soon it'll be just me as she's about to head out on another adventure. I don't know what I'll do with a whole two rooms to myself but I hope to get another artist in here soon since having the whole rent payment to myself will be murder on my savings.

I've been here since last October and it took a while, but I'm finally set up to actually make my ceramics. While production of work has been sporadically steady, I haven't managed to fire anything yet. I've talked to so many people about finding a kiln to use and nobody's been able to pull through until recently. A friend from college April Shelby was so awesome, she was awarded a grant to purchase her own electric kiln and she's been so helpful to me lately. 

Midtown has been an amazing experience so far and I can't wait to share all the awesome things I have coming up. I'll be sure to keep you all posted.