New Artists in Renewed Space

During the month of May, an exhibition at Trackside Studios, 375 Depot Street, will showcase a reconfigured studio space and the new artists who have filled it.

Four separate art studios in the historic 375 Depot Street building have opened their walls to each other and become Trackside, home to fifteen artists working in a multitude of media. The building dates from the early 1900s, and has unique architectural elements that have been preserved in the remodeling, such as the massive wood pillars now flanking the open walkways. New features include extensive gallery lighting and large windows overlooking the railroad tracks behind the building; visitors are always invited to pause in their art viewing and watch the trains go by!

The fifteen artists who now share the space work and greet visitors in the light-filled, browser-friendly studio area. Jewelry artist Terri Robinson enjoys working on her designs while visitors watch, and she’s known for taking on-the-spot commissions from those who see an irresistible bead combination on her worktable. A new addition to the Trackside family is Sahar Fakhoury, a painter and sculptor who gives classes in her studio.

Portrait artist Chon Vinson holds his audience in awe as he develops his lifelike studies in oils and pastels. Lynn Stanley enjoys doing impromptu demonstrations of Asian brush painting, particularly for children coming into the studio with their parents. “Kids are always thrilled when they get to participate, so I like to let them hold the brushes and feel the rice paper,” she says. Lynn was one of the original artists in the space before remodeling, and she is delighted at the changes that have been made. “There’s a new collaborative energy that flows among the artists with the opening up of the walls,” she said.

Trackside’s themed group show reflects this collaborative spirit in the studio’s gallery space. In May the exhibition will be the artists’ choice of work that best defines their current artistic emphasis.

If You Go: Trackside artists will be present during the Spring Studio Stroll on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
“The Best of Trackside” will hang through June 15. Open during regular studio hours, daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Trackside Studios, 375 Depot Street, River Arts District.