A Minute With Kathleen Henderson of Studio Route 29
I came across Studio Route 29 from some press and IG posts of the Open Invitational in Miami. It’s a fair that was founded by David Fierman of Fieman Gallery and arts patron Ross McCalla. This is a fair dedicated to artists with disabilities and the spaces represented were from across the country. I also think they nailed it in terms of size with 12 spaces/non-profits taking part.
One of them was Studio Route 29. I did what I do which is send too many emails to find out what was available and what other info I could find and everyone was so nice to accommodate including the Fierman Gallery team.
I ended up buying a work from Studio Route 29 and getting it framed now but I wanted to know a bit more about them and the artist whose work I am lucky to now live with, Theo Baransky.
Can you talk about your background and how you landed at Studio Route 29?
KH: I am an artist and stumbled upon Creative Growth in Oakland awhile back. I was immediately struck with the enormous creativity and amazing community of artists working side by side. I walked in and stayed for 12 years. I started as a staff artist and launched the Creative Growth magazine and poetry workshop. When the opportunity came for me to open a progressive art studio in the Delaware river valley I jumped at it.
I came across your gallery through the Fierman Gallery Miami exhibit and ended up buying a painting by Theo Baransky. How long have you worked with Theo?
KH: Our studio provides free open studio space to local teens with disabilities through two neighboring high schools. Theo Baransky and Michael Mangino were the first two artists to come to the studio. They helped us put together chairs, paint the mailbox and open all the art supplies. That was two and half years ago and both Theo and Michael have become very accomplished artists with unique and dynamic practices.
What’s next for Theo?
KH: Theo is included in Index, a group show at the Julie Casemore gallery in SF in March with alongside Marlon Mullens, Corita Kent and other fantastic artists. He will be included at our NADA booth in the spring and will have work at Fleischer Olllman in the fall. And very exciting is his upcoming show at White Columns opening in September!
What’s next for Studio Route 29 ?
KH: We have a small book imprint and have two titles at the upcoming book fair at Mana contemporary this weekend. And we have a two part show opening also this weekend, here at our Beauty galley as well as at our permanent exhibition space at Artyard. We will be launching a new zine alongside a reading/performance with artists and poets from New York, LA and Studio 29 artists. We also have our first record release with Beauty records. BJ armour from the studio on one side and William Scott from Creative Growth on the other. And we feel honored to be included in an upcoming show curated by Jennifer Lawrence at Atelier in Philadelphia running concurrently with the east coast symposium for progressive art studios around the country hosted by Center for Creative Works.
How can our readers best support Studio Route ?
KH: Please check out our brand new website and come visit!! We have three exhibition spaces in Frenchtown, here, Artyard and at Finnbar, a new restaurant in town that supports our studio by donating over %70 of profits to our work. Tell your friends, visit our upcoming exhibitions and performances, buy amazing artwork for yourself and friends and donate to us if you are able. Our studio is sliding scale and many artists are on full or partial scholarship and depend in large part on the generosity of the community.
What are some specific needs your gallery has?
KH: We are growing so fast that we are needing new systems to keep track of all the artwork being made, both on photographing the work but also archiving. We also, like every other progressive studio I know, have storage problems. Where do we put all this amazing work?
Some images Kathleen was kind enough to share of some SR29 artists….
