Derek & Jess Kaufman of Lupine Art Studio went all out this spring when they committed to a commercial space at the corner of Cliffe & 6th in downtown Courtenay. Their studio is for all skill levels, but they specialize in art classes for beginners. ?We?ve had such a great response so far ? the community has been very receptive and supportive of our new venture,? says Jess.
The response has certainly been great – they just broke 500 registrations into their art programs to date, not bad for only being in their second session. ?We opened in May and offered classes based on our market research from the year before. It went well and didn?t have to cancel a single class. ?We took the summer to prepare for our next session of classes that are on now. There?s a few classes with more than 12 students – numbers we were only expecting after 2+ years of being open,? Derek explains.
What?s interesting about the students is that nearly everyone that comes through the doors at Lupine Art Studio have either never taken an art class before or haven?t taken one in a very long time. They are clearly breaking the through the stigma that you need to be good at art to enjoy it.
Derek continues, ?We certainly expected to attract beginners. We created a space for people to learn and practice art, regardless of skill level. People are definitely receiving our message that we have welcoming and supportive vibe in the studio, because they are registering without meeting us or seeing our studio. There are lots of people out there wanting to create art, but are not sure where to start.?
Jess and Derek believe that when people experience the process of creating art themselves, they will increasingly appreciate the arts community in general. This will hopefully turn into more participation at arts events such as studio tours and festivals. Having hundreds of people in the Comox Valley take their first art class in 2017 surely can?t hurt the arts community!
If you haven?t checked out Lupine Art Studio yet, drop in at #8 ? 625 Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay. A new session of classes starts in early November. To learn more about their team, story, and art classes they offer, visit their website https://lupineart.com.
