In July, we made a trip to Chariton, IA, for the 4th and to spend time with Deb's Family. This building was up for sale, so we took a look at it and fell in love with it.
The main floor is 18 feet wide by 100 feet long, where we will have The Gallery of Arts. It will feature not only our artwork, but also that of other local artists, too. We also plan to feature art by local students. The ceilings are 14 feet high with the original tin tiles. The plan is to open that up in the Gallery portion. The wall that separates the Gallery from my studio space will have a large picture window in it that will allow people to come into the Gallery and watch me turn.
The next 56 feet will be my studio, where I will do my work and also teach classes. I am working on how I will incorporate my Veterans Day in the Shop, bringing veterans together to work on a community project.
The next 20 feet will be Deb's studio, where she will do her work and teach classes to the local community.
There is a space remaining at the back that will be a finishing room, where I can do epoxy pours, and also a photo area to take pictures of our finished work.
Upstairs is our 3-room home that overlooks the town square. One is our bedroom, the middle one will be my office, where I will continue my remote work business with McFeely's, keeping up on posting my own pieces for sale on Etsy, and keeping my website updated. We have a spacious kitchen in the back.
The basement is unique in that it is a drive-in feature from the back. Back in the day, it was a Speakeasy. There is a room all the way in the front that must have been the Speakeasy, and the cars were in the back. I plan on using this for the storage of wood that I rescue from the local Burn Lot. The Burn Lot is on the edge of town, where people can bring brush and trees that have been removed for burning.
Being a 131-year-old building, there is a lot of work to be done, and we plan on working on it over time.
We will be moving to Chariton, IA, in mid-January. Yes, mid-January is a crazy time to move. Our lease is up on our apartment here in Albuquerque. The year ends with my time at Yucca Art Gallery, and it is a good time to move.
We will miss all of our friends here in Albuquerque, and we plan on making some return trips for visits.
Cheritan is located just East of I-35 and just North of the Iowa/Missouri Border. If you are ever passing the area, stop in and say hi,