What really goes on behind the studio doors in the WindhamARTS Collaborative may surprise some in the community. 6 In-House, an exhibit of works by studio artists working upstairs in the arts center at 866 Main Street, Willimantic will begin December 7th through January 2nd, 2008.

Participating artists include Joycelyn Calande, Gabrielle Zane, Sara Sawyer Bodlak, and Adam and Lynne Campagnano Bass. Their works represent a wide variety of mediums, techniques, and perspectives.
Joycelyn Calande is a well-traveled artist who has studied with internationally known artists such as Claude Croney, Judi Betts, Mary Whyte, as well as with the Plein Air Painters of America. She says her, “art works are interpretive images inspired by nature and my love of light, color, and patterns. I strive to capture the imagination of the viewer and to encourage them to find beauty in the ordinary.”

Gabrielle Zane creates her art to work out solutions. Choosing to work in the encaustic technique (painting with wax) her 6x6 inch panels convey “how attention to the ‘ordinary’ things in life can bring us to larger truths of our existence, assuage our grief, and make us feel less alone.”

Sara Sawyer Bodlak is an internationally experienced artist whose work has been exhibited in multiple locations in Spain, Europe, and in the United States for many years. She says, "All my works show my fascination with lights and shadows as they affect forms and colors; and as they dramatize, as in my portraits for example, very personal attitudes of men and women in moments of intensity and concentration."

Adam and Lynne Campagnano Bass are partners in life and also share studio space in the Collaborative. Adam’s love for color, and desire to be innovative through his paintings is the driving force behind his work. The most important element in Adam’s work is to “be innovative” and to force his audience to think outside the box and see things in a new light. Finding solace in the process and end result of making unique pieces of jewelry, Lynne comments, “it’s therapeutic and rewarding to create something on your own terms”

While the artists exhibiting have very different work from each other, they agree about the positive aspect of having a studio away from home. At the Collaborative, they can interact with other artists and have an opportunity to focus on their work without the distractions of home, such as dishes or walking the dog.
   
“It gives me a place to focus on my work, and since art is a lonely field, an opportunity to talk to other artists”, says Calande, when asked what she liked about having her own studio.  Adam Campagnano Bass likes the fact that he has more room to paint. Talking with other studio artists is helpful in regards to finding new techniques or new applications in his work, he says. When asked how she felt about having her own studio, Sara Sawyer Bodlak says, “Having a studio outside my home allows me the additional space so necessary to continuing my work. Additionally, it gives me the great benefit of a support group, maintaining contact with fellow artists and group members. All of these aspects are so vital to maintaining a collaborative community."

A meet and greet reception is planned for Friday December 7th, 2007 from 5 to 7 pm and is free and open to the public. The Windham Arts Collaborative is located at 866 Main Street in Willimantic. Visiting hours are Tuesday – Thursday from 1 – 6 p.m. and Saturdays from Noon -3 p.m.