Hello everyone!
There's a buzz in the air - and I wanted you to be included because this is great news for polymer clay. I'll be adding events as soon as the center is ready - but for now I wanted to let you know, as word begins to spread......
I wanted to tell you this story before you hear it from someone else - because you should have heard it from me first.
I think it is an interesting story because you know what they say about letting go and then it happens?..? Where do I begin?

When I realized I had very limited time left with my sons and my tax returned showed 20K+ miles??translate that to hours. I decided I needed to stay home for this last year - come what may. I was so far behind on paperwork; I just had to risk the big VOID in order to catch up. So after I had traveled to my last commitment ? I went to an art show, just to hit ground?.my old stomping grounds, the Tannery Row Artist Colony in Buford. I decided to rent a wall in their gallery ? just to be ?seen locally? during the holiday season. But the price of a wall wasn?t as economical as a studio space ? and I figured I could teach there and have others join me. So I submitted a proposal to the managers to rent a studio. Low and behold ? I got rejected. It wasn?t in the master plan to have teaching or classes going on. Whoa! I threw up my hands and said ? I am not going to fight this ? or change their mission statement?.I am going to let the universe bring it to me. (Let go and let God?) I knew three artists that needed teaching space and I?d been told rents were cheap. Teaching in my home had proved less than accommodating since the dogs had two litters this year. OK so be it.

I looked at a few places on Main St. (not quite perfect) and went to the bank. A few doors down, a suite was for rent in a 125 year old building. I peaked inside. Probably too much rent I thought. It used to be a little girls party place, and the build out was beautiful. A few doors down again, another space was being renovated for a photo studio. Wow. The character of the entire building is really cool ? 10? heart of pine wood floors, 6ft. windows in each studio on both sides ? the building has soul. I called the landlord and to my surprise, I could afford the rent (it had dropped three times) if enough of us committed. If this isn?t it ? what was I waiting for? There was no doubt, hesitation or other forms of fear that usually accompanies such a venture and over the next week or so I considered the possibility of what the space could become, far beyond just our studios.

The opportunity increased ? my dear friend Ellen Prophater stepped in to share the risk and the work equally (something I?d been praying for) and together we are going for it ? IT being a studio space (for five artists) a gallery (her dream), a teaching place (my dream) and an exhibit/collection because we both feel polymer is worth the effort. We want to make it special and appropriate. Appropriate to do polymer justice. We want to make it representative of all the participants and the passion? a place were people can see the amazing emergence of a new media. We feel the heartbeat of a lot of ?crafters? as well as artists and want to share a place where they can come and experience ?the creative process?. So that?s the beginning of Woman Creative, Art and Jewelry Design Center.

During the last two years I have been promising Woman Creative as a publication and that will still happen because I believe the tools of art are somewhat academic. The passion isn?t ? that?s inside each of us and is what makes our art unique. So we are going to foster both at Woman Creative.

I am asking for you to be supportive and I am asking you to be participant. First, just your comments are important to me. What would you like to see in a design center, polymer exhibit and potential ?school?? Shortly after I signed the lease, I realized I would be able to publicly display the huge amount of polymer I have collected through the years, some pieces that were published in my books, some that I bought just to inspire me and some to compare craftsmanship. Ellen has told me that Lindley and Cynthia (Toops) have also given her pieces for our exhibit, so I know we are off to an incredible beginning. We want to be supportive and responsible to so many people that have been working to gain acceptance in this field. With Racine Museum happening and all the work Elise Winters has done, we are committed to a top notch presentation. Sooner or later, Ellen will be soliciting for our exhibit. Please consider if you?d like to be part of that ? beyond what I have already published.

I?d also like your comments on the classes. I will invite teachers. I realized that presently I am unaware of any ?school? running a curriculum on polymer. Therefore I am structuring classes so that every week we offer several beginning and advanced classes in polymer. We also have wire (Jan Stephens), paper and altered arts (Patricia Dibona), metals (visiting instructor Kim St. Jean) and presentation photography (Ellen). Calm, cool, ever present in the moment - Sue Sutherland is helping all of us ?movers and shakers? move smoothly with processes and details! As each of us has our own business ? the studio is already a sort of ?artist?s emporium?. We want to be a school for creativity and design and innovation and therefore we have no bounds on what ?media? is presented. Because of the holiday season already upon us (and the fire marshal slightly delaying our occupancy) we are postponing the Grand Opening until next year in February ? and the Exhibit Opening in March. We want to make sure all the press and presentations are in place to make this special. That?s why I am asking you now to tell me what you think and send us good thoughts and prayers for success.

I am sure there will be lots more to come. I just wanted you to be in on the news as I see it is already spreading. Woman Creative has a life of its own because it?s beginning to run on its own momentum! Thanks for being my friends and all you?ve done, because I know that?s why this has come into being. These pictures represent (iphone) ?before? and ?afters? (a fundraiser) of our new endeavor. I hope you?ll join us as we begin this journey.

As Ever,
Barbara