​The Evolution of Ann Metlay Art, the Gallery

For almost four years, I have had a studio. Early on, I recognized my art and I needed space to pursue my new-found passion. The tools I needed would never be contained in a single room in my house. I would not have the self-discipline to
compartmentalize my life, Having supplies meant I would work on my art to the exclusion of housework, of anything else I needed to accomplish. And, having come into producing art late in life, having a studio felt romantic. It said to the world, “Ann is an artist.”

I rented space up in Jerome at the old high school. I found a worktable. I bought some storage containers. I went to garage sales and bought shelving to throw my pieces on. And, with a trickle of people on Art Walks, I even had a few customers.

Jerome was a romantic place for a beginning artist. Working in a100-year-old school filled with artists up on the mountain identified myself as a “real” artist. But the road there was steep and curvy. The stairs to get into my space were steep, too. Friends were leaving.

I found a place on 6th in Cottonwood, the industrial section of Cottonwood. The space, two separate rooms with outdoor storage seemed ideal for my needs. I continued to find shelving. George and his side-kick Bob were ready to help.

The problem on 6th was the lack of customer traffic. I tried having events, music, even a poetry reading. I did not sell. I tried to lure fellow artists into the space next door. It was too complicated to find the right people and funding for the establishment. And I wanted it more than anyone else.

I found the Reitz Ranch at almost the same time as my 6th Street studio. I had been looking for a ceramic studio for 40 years, and as soon as it opened, I joined. My work with clay has evolved as much as the space in which I produce it. I had never touched clay before. Fortunately, my learning curve for ceramics is moving up sharply, too.

Two and a half years later, both my art and my use of my space have evolved. I cleaned my gallery space and painted it white. It became more of a real gallery space. And my ceramic sculpting skills have progressed to a more artistic level.

But the problem of attracting traffic has remained. I am not as visible as the businesses around me. Nobody sees me. And I cannot remain open enough hours to attract regular customers.

In December, I joined up with six artists for a pop-up show. We crammed into the space, hired a musician and set up our art. Everybody sold something. I realized my art experience was enhanced by having other artists around. Traffic into the gallery picked up.

I decided to try to incorporate other artists. With them I could attract more customers. They could help me stay open more hours. As I have set up the space, people are finding me. I have a number of artists ready to sit the gallery in lieu of paying me for the space.

The gallery is now hung. It looks like a gallery. And we are working out a work schedule. More and more customers are trickling in By February we should be open regularly.

The group of artists I have found? Michele was the first. She had owned a gallery for years in Hawaii, could give me advice about how to do it. She does acrylic landscapes and models little dogs called “Little Rescues.”

Patty May was a friend from the ceramic ranch. She has been an artist forever, started the Jerome Co-operative. I love her ceramics—hand built, meticulous, with the whimsy of mermaids and dragons. She is a half-way point between my abstract gestural ceramics and a potter with a wheel.

Alice does watercolor. I met her at Made in Clarkdale. Her paintings, dark colored abstract western scenes fill the room with color.

Pam walked into my studio while Alice and I shared it, before Christmas. Pam was the winning artist at the fair. She has been painting her entire life. Her dotted mandalas shimmer.

Patty Delp, a friend of Patty May, is a seamstress. I met her at Made in Clarkdale. Her bright art quilts bright light into the rather dark space at the Clarkdale Clubhouse. She has three quilts hung in the pass-through between my studio and gallery.

The newest artist to add to our menagerie will be Patsy. At 85, Patsy is a barrel of energy. She has shown her acrylic paintings in Florida. She paints wonderful lighthouses, but, those are not appropriate in Clarkdale. She also does sweet birds and animals like javelinas using the technique, scratch art. As she produces her art, her animals will be scattered around our gallery.

And, my ceramic sculptures grace the shelves. Bowls and vases are about as functional as I get. Masks and other wall-hangings grace the walls. Whimsical figurative pieces, and scenic constructions line the shelves.

Our plan is to open in February, five or six days a week. Those sitting the gallery will bring in their art to work while they are there.

So, my overall vision is to incorporate original art produced by locals. I want to highlight that we are all currently producing art. And the overall theme is Verde Valley.