West Michigan painter Cynthia Hagedorn is opening a
studio that will serve as a hub of artistic activities and events in downtown Holland.
At the corner of River Avenue and Eighth Street, above Reader's World, a cozy second-floor space became available a few months ago when the
Holland Downtown Development Authority and
Principal Shopping District (PSD) relocated to West Ninth Street.
"I had worked with the PSD to coordinate events in downtown Holland, so I'd been in that office a lot," Hagedorn says. Once it was empty, she decided the space would be perfect for her studio.? ?"I feel like (opening the studio) is the next step I have to take in my life," she says.
"Once I decided to go for it, obstacles just fell by the wayside and I was able to move forward."
The Cynthia Hagedorn Studio will be a base for events Hagedorn facilitates under her organization Square Peg Events, LLC. Hagedorn will use her background in art anthropology to teach drop-in art workshops for kids on Egyptian art, American Gothic, cartoons drawing, cultural creations and famous artists.
She'll also host private bookings for girls' nights out, book clubs, date nights or other small groups.
Under
Square Peg Events, Hagedorn organizes art-enhanced programs in Holland and offers tours of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is developing a series of themed walking tours through downtown Holland that include Boys and Beer, Chicks and Chocolate, The Martini March and Art of Food Making.
Hagedorn decked out the 300-square-foot studio using bright, bold colors. Large windows overlook the downtown. She will use the studio to paint her own artwork when she isn't hosting events.
An open house is scheduled today from 2 to 8 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.
Source: Cynthia Hagedorn, The Cynthia Hagedorn Studio
Related Articles:
New location makes downtown Holland's economic leaders more accessible to the community Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected]
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.