The Studio 1010 Art Group officially opened their annual Fall Art Show and Sale with an opening reception at the John V. Hicks Gallery in the Margo Fournier Arts Centre on Saturday, Oct. 4.
The 1010 art group is a group of local artists who meet every Monday afternoon to work on their individual art projects. There is no oil or water-based oils and there is no instructor.
They are named after the address of the Arts Centre and have been around for over a decade in the city.
Studio 1010 has been painting each Monday in the space across the hall from the Hicks Gallery for 16 years.
Theresa Lungul joined in September and has enjoyed the camaraderie.
“It’s great,” she said. “The ladies are just great to be around. They’re a lot of fun. Everybody has a lot of fun. Everybody laughs and I hope to kind of learn a little bit from coming,” Lungul said it’s been fun to work with a group of like-minded painters. She said it’s also been an opportunity to develop her skills thanks to their input.
“I started painting a barn and it was falling over,” she said. “I was saying to everybody, ‘how do I fix my barn?’ So now I did figure it out because people come around and say, ‘do this, d that,’ and actually now my barn is standing up.
“I rescued the barn and I didn’t have to knock her right down,” she added.
Lungul joined Studio 1010 because she was looking for an activity. She wanted to meet a new group of men and women and just be around people. The art group was a perfect fit.
“It’s not so lonely, just to be in a group setting to do my painting,” she explained.
The only change Lungul would like to see is more lessons for newcomers. She said that’s been a common feature with other activities she’s participated in.
Longtime member Judie Relitz said that the idea is a possibility.
“That would be great,” she said. “I’ve talked to others. I don’t know who we could have to come, but yeah, that would be great if we could have guest artists to give us demos, but we’ve all got enough experience.”
Even without lessons, Studio 1010 does not lack for experience. Relitz said other members are more than capable of mentoring new arrivals.
The group has no formal instructors, although senior members often encourage rookie artists, and share tips and tricks they know.
“You could ask other people in the class how to do something and it’s kind of nice to get up and see what everybody else is doing, instead of beating yourself up,” Lungul said.
“In a group setting you get feedback and ideas and it’s just the overall atmosphere that you (have) with other artists,” Relitz said.
Lungul explained that the group atmosphere also helps stop the artist from getting in a rut.
“Sometimes you get discouraged trying to paint on your own, and it’s just not going right. Then you ask somebody, and then all of a sudden you’re back on track. That’s what I like about it,” Lungul said.
“I always leave here really happy that you feel happy. You feel like you’ve been in the group and you’re happy about,” she added.
Relitz said the fees for the year are used to cover the rent on the Arts Centre.
“It’s based on the rent that the Arts Center charges us and the amount that people have to pay depends on the number of people that are in our group,” she explained.
“We have, I think, 16 members and I have another gal who phoned me the other day and she wants to join at the end of the month, so we’re getting right along there, ticking right along and it’s the same as before you bring your own paint, you sit at the table and you do your work.”
The group includes painters from Prince Albert and the surrounding area. Anyone interested in joining Studio 1010 can contact Relitz at j.frelitz@sasktel.net for further information. They meet on Monday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and you can set up a table and join.
“There’s a lot of laughs, it’s a very joyful group,” Lungul said.
The Studio 1010 show runs at the Hicks Gallery until Oct. 23. They will also host a show at the John M. Cuelenaere branch of the Prince Albert Public Library in April.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
