ASHLAND ARTISAN GALLERY

This morning I went to Robert Paulmenn's figure drawing session at his studio here in Ashland, Oregon. I haven't been in awhile (see some of my earlier posts for drawings done in these sessions), and I'd heard he was leaving town, but it seemed like business as usual once I sat down.

I'd run into Robert the other day at the sneak-preview opening of Ashland Artisan Gallery's newest project, a combination studio/gallery/workshop. The space is in the Provost Building located at 357 East Main Street, a three story, historic building. At the moment the building looks in need of some work, in terms of lighting and interior remodeling, but the sheer size of the space is inspiring. I would have liked to have taken video of the upstairs studio spaces, which are very nice and well lit, but my battery died taking this video in the basement.

I'm toying with the idea of renting space in the upstairs, but just this morning I was talking with Robert and learned that his studio space will soon be up for rent. It's about twice the price of the space in the Provost Building, but it's been the spot for a weekly figure drawing session for years. It seems that the regulars don't want to discontinue if and when Robert leaves town, and with the income they generate ($10 per person per session), it would almost pay for itself if it remained open for the Monday morning sessions.

Then there's the fact that the studio space in the Provost Building wouldn't be private, but would be in a cubicle-type environment in a big, open floorplan. Robert's studio is totally private, with its own locking door, which would mean more secure storage of artwork and supplies.

Neither space will be available until early next spring, and there's no guarantee I'd even get Robert's space before someone else, but it's good to be aware of the possibilites.