The Starving Artist was scheduled to open in Kamas on Friday. It is the brainchild of local artists Katie Stellpflug, Cassidy DuHadway and Alisha Niswander.
“We’ve been talking since November about how to sell year round. We started doing monthly trunk shows during the winter,” Niswander said. “We decided to make a go of it.”
Niswander specializes in textiles and fibers. The Starving Artist currently has her hats, scarves and little-girl dresses made from recycled wool sweaters. DuHadway does ceramics that are usable with a splash of the unexpected. Some have a figure of a climber on them; some have a unique design or color that makes them suitable for sitting on a mantle or filled with food. Stellpflug also does ceramics and focuses on creating usable pieces that still reflect the natural, organic nature of the clay.
Right now the shop also features handbags, photography, paintings and hand-made soap all of it produced by locals.
“We have smaller, more affordable things you can use or pick up as a small gift, Niswander said.
The first Friday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. the gallery will feature an artist and dedicate the evening to them.
“We want to give exposure to people who can’t get it in a higher-end gallery,” Niswander said.
“We’re focusing on helping people get started who are not currently in galleries,” DuHadway added.
It’s difficult for the three to say whether The Starving Artist is more store or more gallery; it is a space for art.
In the future, they hope to host classes and workshops taught by locals sharing their expertise, Niswander said. They want their space to be a place where people take yoga, crochet, work on pottery, paint anything for which there’s interest.
It is difficult to break into the Park City art scene, DuHadway said. The Starving Artist provides a venue for everyone. Kamas was chosen because it’s close enough to attract people from Park City, but can also expose work to a variety of audiences both living locally and passing through.
“This is something Kamas needs because there are so many artisans in this area that need an outlet. These are people who wouldn’t approach a gallery so we have a niche here on the East Side,” Stellpflug said.
Right now The Starving Artist is only open weekends from noon to 5 p.m. As more artists sign up to be featured and a calendar is created for hosting workshops, those hours will be expanded, they said.
The show on the first Friday of each month will have a party atmosphere and be a great chance to meet the artist, they said.
The building is green and on the west side of Main Street close to Marion.
The Starving Artist
283 N. Main St., Kamas
Hours: Saturday-Sunday Noon to 5 p.m.
435-200-4722
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