Since it opened four years ago at the Greenwood Public Library, The Studio was a place where patrons could satisfy their curiosity in all kinds of art.
They could try out needlepoint, leather crafting or jewelry making. Kids were able to invent a droid, work with robots or build fanciful structures out of magnetic tiles. The 3-D printer brought imagination to life, while the AV room let people record videos, shoot photographs or record a podcast.
Now, library officials envision a new way to spark creativity in The Studio — a practicing artist to interact with them.
Starting in April, Greenwood will unveil its Studio Maker in Residence program. The first artist in the role will be Dianna Porter, an award-winning fine artist, illustrator and teacher who lives in Greenwood.
She will be available in The Studio at set times throughout the month, and visitors can stop by and watch her work on illustrations for an upcoming children’s book, ask questions, and explore the different mediums she likes to create with. She’ll also be teaching classes on watercolor for children and adults.
With the goal of the Studio being to encourage making and creativity, organizers felt this residency program was an excellent way to reach new people.
“We knew we wanted to have a few classes and some open hours where (Porter) can be creating and people can ask her questions,” said Emily Ellis, assistant director of the Greenwood Public Library. “One of the most important things was having the ability for people to come in and watch her create, ask her questions and have conversations.”
The Studio opened in 2019 as the Greenwood Public Library’s designated maker space. The renovated room houses a wide variety of equipment available to the community, such as a Glowforge and Cricut. Nearly 30 art and STEAM-based kits are also available to use within the studio space.
“We wanted to get over the obstacle of access. We will invest in this equipment and supplies, so that people can come in and try, stress-free, and either find a new hobby or realize that’s not for them,” Ellis said.
From the earliest days of The Studio, library staff wanted it to serve as a place where the public could interact with local artists. The local arts community is active and vibrant throughout the southside, but not everyone is connected to that scene, Ellis said.
The library could serve as a conduit to connect people to the arts.
“We wanted to bring that kind of cultural element to Greenwood — not that it’s not here, but make it a little more accessible to the community itself,” Ellis said.
Though the Covid pandemic put those plans on hold, library staff held on to the residency idea. With the library hiring a part-time studio associate who is focused on The Studio space, they felt now was a perfect time to bring it back, Ellis said.
The library sent a call-out through arts organizations, looking for creators who would want to take part in a month-long residency. Porter was intrigued by the idea.
“There’s a need for more art in the southside community,” she said. “I’m thankful for the Greenwood library for having something like this. I’m amazed they dedicated this space just for creatives.”
She has been a freelance illustrator, fine artist and designer for more than 40 years. The Greenwood resident has won numerous awards and has been exhibited in many group and solo shows, in addition to being on the faculty of the Indianapolis Art Center as a watercolor, drawing and figure drawing/painting instructor.
She is also the owner of PortalUnlimited, a Franklin-based studio, as well as an online shop where she sells prints of her work and original art.
The residency offered another avenue to reach people through art.
“I was raised in Michigan, in a teeny town population 1,200. I would have killed for something like this, an opportunity to come and talk to an artist and have at my beck and call all of the equipment that’s here (in The Studio), and someone to here to help,” she said.
Porter’s residency kicks off on April 3 with an opening reception, where she’ll be available for a short question-and-answer session as well as helping lead some activities.
On April 6 and 20, she will host open hours, where people can come interact with her while she works on her art.
“I thought it would be a good idea to talk about book illustration. I’m trained as an illustrator — that was my first love,” she said. “I thought it would fit perfectly here.”
A watercolor class for kids is planned for April 15, while a course for teens and adults will be on April 22. After both, Porter will host open hours.
“We don’t know what the numbers coming through would be. But I hope to initiate conversations with them. I want them ask them questions and interact with them,” Porter said.
Following Porter’s residency, library staff have lined up another Maker in Residence for September. The hope would be to eventually get enough local artists, as well as other “makers” to have a residency four or five times each year, Ellis said.
“We wanted to see how it goes, use 2023 as a trial period — what works, what doesn’t, what the interest is in the community,” she said. “We’d love to see a variety of different makers come in, whether that’s an engineer or a sculptor or a painter.”
AT A GLANCE
Studio Maker in Residence
What: A new program brings local artists and creators in to work and interact with the public inside The Studio at the Greenwood Public Library.
Who: The first resident will be Dianna Porter, an award-winning fine artist, illustrator, and teacher who lives in Greenwood.
When: April
Special events
April 3: 6:30 p.m., opening reception with light refreshments, activities, and a short Q&A.
April 6: 3-5 p.m., open hours where community members can stop by to watch Porter work on illustrations for an upcoming children’s book, ask questions, and explore the different mediums.
April 15: 10:30 a.m., kids watercolor class for youths 10-15 years old with open hours afterward.
April 22: 10:30 a.m., teen/adult watercolor class for ages 16 and older with open hours afterward.
April 29: 10 a.m.-1 p.m., closing reception
For more details, go greenwoodlibrary.us/makerinresidence. Interested artists and creators can also apply to be a resident on the website.
