Studio 107, the brainchild of Piedmont Arts, is now facing challenging times as it struggles to attract enough foot traffic and financial support. The studio, which was initially supported by Piedmont Arts, lost that backing about a decade ago due to financial constraints, leaving the artists to sustain the space on their own.
“We’ve done the best we could with the resources we’ve had, which have been our own pockets,” said Karen Eggleston, an egg artist. She explained that the studio rents booths to artists and is currently working to move the gallery to the front of the studio to draw in more visitors.
“We’ve got ribbon winners here. We are the heart of art in Martinsville,” said Eggleston. However, many artists are taking a loss each month just to pay booth rentals.
Despite their artistic achievements, the artists at Studio 107 are struggling to stay afloat. “We were first owned by Piedmont Arts, and then they had to drop us, which put us all on our own,” Eggleston said, noting that the studio also lost its receptionist when Piedmont Arts withdrew.
Eggleston believes that renewed support would improve the studio’s retail side, a sentiment shared by long-term tenant and woodworker Terry Mitchell. “I’ve got art all over the country, but it’s just not enough to be successful,” Mitchell said, adding that while the rent is fair, “people just don’t know that we are here.”
One of the major challenges is the lack of funds for advertising. While Studio 107 receives patronage from some local companies and has donated items to charities like the United Way of Martinsville Henry County, it’s not enough to sustain the business. “The support would help us to attract other artists,” said Mitchell, emphasizing that better visibility would make the studio more attractive to potential tenants.
“If they realize they are coming to a place where they have traffic and they will be successful with what they do, it would be attractive for them to come into the studio,” he said.
“We should truthfully be getting business from a 50-mile radius,” Eggleston said. She noted that the studio benefits from events at the nearby arcade, with people wandering in while their kids play. However, this is not consistent enough to ensure the studio’s survival.
Eggleston and Mitchell recently voiced their concerns at the Arts and Culture Committee meeting, hoping to find a way to increase the studio’s visibility and attract more visitors. “We need help from the city. I hope they think we are important,” Eggleston said.
Studio 107 not only sells art but also teaches classes and allows visitors to watch artists work live on the premises. The studio hosts various types of artists, from stained glass creators to fine art painters, with each piece sold being handmade. Eggleston, who has sold products on the QVC channel, is the only artist currently making a profit at Studio 107.
The artists at Studio 107 hope to continue adding more artists and ultimately transform Martinsville into an art hub like Floyd.
