Happy Halloween!

Coffee is up! Come on by and enjoy a cup for free while you visit, then buy a cup to go or a pound or two or three of our delicious organic fair trade whole beans home so you can wake up to a freshly ground cup of gourmet coffee in the comfort of your home. After all, what is life for if not to enjoy the bounty that we humans are all blessed with… especially if no humans, animal or nature have been abused in the process of getting the bounty to you!

Step into the gallery this weekend to see our current gallery show: The Upper Right Corner ~ Photography by Tim Keller. All images are archival prints framed under museum preservation glass with white mats and a simple black wood frame. Last week’s opening reception was a wonderful success! Thanks to everyone who came to share in our excitement. The show will be up through November 24th and we are looking forward to having you stop in to see the work.

Today is the day for all the little goblins to run around in costume and collect candy or smart snacks, depending on the givers’ inclinations. Personally I’m opting to hand out toothbrushes. Not really. But next year that's what I plan to do!

Speaking of toothbrushes, being an ArtSpace out in “the middle of nowhere”, I have decided to add some practical items to our shelves. Toothbrushes and sturdy leather work gloves, and some fancy show gloves are coming in the future. I am here to serve travelers and our community and I’ve been listening when friends make suggestions. You can’t read your poetry well if your teeth are fuzzy, and a great pair of gloves makes all the difference in bending wire, barbed or not, as well as those fancy nights out on the town. Support our local economy, our local and regional artists and organic, fair trade products that help our planet by supporting humane economic growth and environmental stewardship. I appreciate your support and look forward to growing the business into a destination gallery here in Des Moines. Shop at Studio C and you will help make that dream a thriving reality.

Date change: my report to the Union County Community Development Corporation will be Wednesday, November 19th at 6:00 p.m. That is a week later than I stated in my update last week, which I will be updating with the correct date. Please update your planners and let us know you are coming.

Speaking of changes, I am thrilled to be adding a solar radiant heat system to the gallery. Nate Green and his brother in law Kyle are pouring cement thermal mass blocks with flexible pipe running in them. They’ll be installed against the inside cinder block wall in our two galleries and the studio/classroom. A solar panel will go up on the roof. Water will be heated by the sun through the solar panel then circulated through the cement panels. Once the system is up and running we expect the building to be kept much warmer than it was last winter. This is phase one of my plan to have Studio C retrofit to be able to produce all the energy that it needs to function. You may find us in a bit of a mess when you stop in but don’t let that stop you! Nate and Kyle predict the system will be completed and turned up by late next week. I’ll keep you posted!

Mary Ann Louden will be giving two workshops on making tin can lids into “StarFlowers”. Saturday November 8th and Saturday November 15th. Each workshop will be from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Studio C in the studio/classroom.

Mark your calendars for our November Live Poetry! The date is Saturday November 22nd. Sharon Niederman is our featured artist and will be reading new poetry and also from her books. We have added her books, A Quilt of Words, Return to Abo, and The Santa Fe and Taos Book from the series Great Destinations to our shelves and she will be signing that night too. My sister Karyna Cragin will be in the spotlight. She is an amazing musician and vocalist and is working on an act with a friend. I am not yet sure if she is bringing her friend or doing a solo. This will be the second annual Show of Gratitude and will again be a potluck event with no cover charge. Studio C will provide the turkey and all the trimmings so bring what ever you love to have with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Last year’s event was just wonderful and I am so pleased to be able to build on such a lovely beginning. This is my way to extend my thanks for the support that everyone has given Studio C over the year.

With that note let me sign off by quoting Lynne Twist, “ When you are in the house of sufficiency you live in a state of perfect ecstatic gratitude.”

In Creativity,

Christina