It's funky and it's Bohemian. It's admittedly somewhat messy and, according to its owner, "it's not perfect, but it's perfect for us."
The "it" in all of the above is a newly opened creative artist space in downtown Penticton, just a block away from the Penticton Art Gallery, called "Art Up Studios, Gallery and Gift Bar." And it's exactly what its resident artists and its owner want it to be. And that's what makes it so cool.
Photo Credit: NowMediaLiz Marshall, Derrie Selles and Christina Hughes of Art Up
Part gallery, part studio, part gathering spot, and brimming with nooks and crannies, Art Up is a working artist's paradise. It's one of those places where a little spilled paint might very well just blend right in.
"I've had a few other spaces," says owner Derrie Selles. "Liz (artist Liz Marshall, who rents one of the many spaces inside Art Up) and I have shared spaces in other places. But we no longer belong to them. They no longer worked for us."
"So I started looking for a space of my own, and Liz said, 'Well, if there's room for me, then we'll be together again.'"
Photo Credit: NowMedia
"Then a friend of mine told me about this place. It wasn't even available yet. And we went, 'Holy smokes, it's way bigger than we anticipated.' That was in the fall. I got the keys on January 1st and we opened March 15th."
So what does an artist do when they suddenly find themselves with an enormous 2300-square foot space that's partially divided up into a number of smaller spaces? They get creative, of course, and they reach out.
Selles did just that, and today the Art Up community totals six members. And it's that variety that makes the place so intriguing.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Walk in the front door and the first thing that'll hit you is the size. The Art Up footprint is shockingly deep.
Up front is the "gift bar," a small, comfortable alcove stuffed with impressive handmade goodies and artwork. Prints, gift cards, colouring books, felted products like market bags and hats, decorative bowls made from fabric scraps, and much more.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Selles points to a display of fabric and talks about fellow artist Gayle Walford. "She's saved thousands of pounds of fabric from going to the landfill in Nova Scotia, dyed them all in lobster pots and turned them into yarn. You can weave, crochet, braid, sew, do all kinds of things with this."
But she's most excited about a brand new addition to the gift bar called "Frida's Closet."
"One of our artists is Christina Hughes, and she's infatuated with famed Mexican artist Frida Khalo. She had a gallery display in Penticton years ago called Frida's Closet, featuring Frida-inspired and Mexican-inspired used clothing, jewelry , artwork, all kinds of things. And we've now reintroduced it and integrated it with a few of our other things."
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Frida's Closet curator Hughes says she's continued sourcing and collecting throughout the years, and is thrilled she now gets to bring all of it back onto the public stage.
Directly beyond the gift bar is the gallery, which, from what we can gather, is in a constant state of flux. Today it houses a monster-sized canvas sitting horizontally in the middle of the room and paintings and various forms of artwork all around.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
"It's not a traditional gallery, where it's all perfectly hung," says Selles. "It's going to change. We'll put things on the wall, and take them off. Like, last night we had a workshop, and all the girls were painting on the walls, and on the tables."
A chunk of the gallery is also a conversation pit. Says Selles, "It's a communal area where the members gather to have a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, and just chat about art or what's going on in the world."
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Investigate further and you'll come upon all those nooks and crannies we mentioned earlier. In its old guise as a furniture store, they undoubtedly housed chairs and tables.
Nowadays, most of those smaller rooms are home to artists. They're places where they can work in semi-privacy, and, if they want, display their crafts for all to see.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
"Right now," says Selles, "a total of six members comprise the Art Up community. Four are designated studio members (with their own studio space), and two are casual (sharing the larger space with others). Those who've paid a little more get a studio of their own, have access to a teaching space, and can come in anytime they want. Casual members share the space and can come in from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m."
All members have access to the facility's amenities (washroom, partial kitchen, WiFi, and more). And, of course, they get to bounce ideas off other members.
One of Art Up's members is Liz Marshall. And today, between gab sessions with Selles and Hughes, Marshall is painting away rather happily in her room at the far end of the facility.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
She jokes that her official position with Art Up is "Princess." Or "Queen Mother." And that's the way it is with this group – friendly and not overly concerned with titles.
And they're looking for more folks to join the community. There are currently three designated studio memberships available – two at $200 per month, and one at $275. Casual memberships run $120.
If you're an art lover rather than art creator, well, your visit may need a little planning. Located at 102 – 94 Ellis Street, next door to the Ellis One condo project, Art Up is officially open to customers just one day a week – Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. But that'll change as the business matures.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
Photo Credit: NowMedia
For more information on all of the above, or a look at the many classes, workshops, paint nights, and assorted activities Art Up offers, check its Facebook page. For more specific information, call Derrie Selles directly at 250-462-8783.
"We're trying to build a community where people can come in and get inspired by each other, says Selles. "It's about getting together."
And that's just what they've done.
Photo Credit: NowMedia
