By: Stephanie Andrews
In 2015, I dreamed of expanding my office space from our garage studio. The BD team was bursting out of the space with four people, and we needed to do something. I wanted to be more “official” and have a “real” business. I wanted this space to be within walking distance of my home.
I would walk down to the Candler Park market and imagine one of the cute little stores as Balance Design. I would imagine the sign outside, the windows, the workspace, and perhaps a small gallery space to share with the community. The problem was, all of these stores seemed to be thriving and unavailable.
I talked to Kat, of Moog Gallery, and let her know of my desire. She gave me the landlord’s name, and I reached out. I told them that if anything opened up, I would love to talk to them about it. The first inquiry gave me nothing, so I kept at it. I would walk down to the market daily, look at the spaces, imagine it, and call the landlords a couple more times. After about six months, they let me know that there may be an opportunity at the beginning of the following year (I think this was 2017).
The original studio colors and look.
Once the little space was available, we had the large task of emptying it and creating a design studio. This was no small feat, as the previous owner was living in the back! It took about four months of renovation, and I had some time to plan with our team what it was going to be. We wanted to feature local and emerging artists in the front and work out of the back. This was before the pandemic when the expectation was that every person needed to be at work every day, all day. (Times have changed.)
I’m sharing this long back story to encourage you to join us at our annual Open House! On Thursday, November 14th, from 7 to 9 pm, we will be opening our doors to our clients, friends, family, and community to celebrate the holiday season. We are also featuring two artists that we are excited about—Crysta Luke and Katie Vigilante.
I went deeper into their stories over the past couple of weeks and wanted to share with you some of their thoughts, feelings, and visions of their work. It is quite a feat to be a “working artist” – someone who can sustain themselves primarily through their art. I asked some critical questions and was delighted in their answers.
Crysta Luke
First off—Crysta Luke. I have known Crysta for over a decade since she was the creative force behind my favorite boutique in Edgewood, SOLE. (I still miss this store greatly.) We have featured Crysta’s work a few times over the years and have worked with her to commission art for clients. We even worked with her to create murals like this one in a Druid Hills powder room. So when she reached out with a new direction of her art—from colorful modern abstracts to watercolor portraits—I was in! Here are some of the questions that I asked her.
Mural by Crysta Luke
Question: What led you to pursue your art full-time?
Crysta: “The most important reason for me to follow this path as an artist is to show my daughters the power of pursuing one’s dreams and having faith in oneself. As their primary female role model, I know that my life becomes a reference point for a life well-lived. Many of my decisions come from this perspective, shaped by my values, and truthfully, financial gain is not at the top of this list. My daughters see me struggle, but they also see me deeply engaged in what I love.”
Portrait Series by Crysta Luke
Question: What has surprised you about the art profession?
Crysta: “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how I’ve been able to pursue art on my own terms, and I am truly grateful for that. Another less surprising realization is how much of the work involved is not actually creating art!”
Katie Vigilante
And on to my questions to Katie Vigilante. I recently re-met Katie after she reached out on Instagram. Katie shares a studio with another artist, right up the street from us in Candler Park. Her company is called LUSH. LUSH is an acronym for Local, Unique, Sustainable, Hand-painted florals. (So cool!) Katie is a former professor. As she got into fresh floral work after her retirement, she realized that she wanted to create something more permanent. She then worked with dried flowers, and they also did not satisfy her. Thus she began painting branches and creating flowers and leaves out of additional natural materials.
Floral Arrangements by Katie Vigilante
Question: What inspires you to do what you do? (Response is slightly edited for brevity.)
Katie: “I am inspired by fashion and interior design. Fashion drives interiors. I try and stay a-pace of fashion (my favorites are the Italian Brunello Cucinelli and Lori Priana). They source most of the fabrics for the top fashion houses all over the world! Fiore means flower in Italian. I continue to be curious and learn from others. I listen to others, especially my clients. I changed students’ lives in the classroom. Through art, I am sustaining florals. “ A quote that moves me is:
Great Nature not to disappoint
Awaiting Her that Day-to be a Flower, is a profound responsibility. -Emily Dickenson
Please join us on Thursday, November 14th, from 7 to 9 pm, to meet Crysta Luke and Katie Vigilante in person and see their amazing work. We will also have light refreshments and a signature cocktail.
I hope to see you there!
