Piece’ a Work Art Gym

Piece’ a Work is an «art gym.» What is an art gym, you ask? From the Piece’ a Work website, «an art gym is a new concept, though very much in line with the old tradtion of going to a work out gym. It’s a place for you to go, forget about the day’s stress and work on a craft you used to be excited about or are newly intersested in. At the core, we are an art center for artists of all ages and skill levels to come and learn, work and show.»
Piece’ a Work is a decent sized space (half of the old Canine Connection on Magazine St.) that opened in January that caters to artists and wannabes (like me). The owner, Katheryn, teaches classes for adults and kids in a variety of mediums. In addition, the space is open for artists to come in and «work out.» While I was there, there were two artists working, one drawing and one painting. There is also a gallery space in the front where artists can display their work. The place is pretty plain, with a few tables set up for painting during classes and paintings along the wall. Easels and paints are available for use. You can buy a membership for $ 80 or a day pass for $ 25.
My roommate and I (and two other friends) set up a «replipainting» party for this Sunday afternoon. Katheryn was incredibly accommodating and allowed us to choose the day, time, and the painting we wanted to do. The four of us arrived at the gym, ready for action. The process was pretty similar to a painting party at a place like Corks n Canvas (and yes, you can bring your own booze and snacks!). Katheryn led us step by step in the process, offered stencils for the background and central fleur de lis, and gave us each individual attention. She mixed colors for us and gave us helpful tips. Each painting turned out vastly different despite the central idea (we each chose our own colors, placement of background pattern, etc.). The cost for the class included all the supplies we needed including our canvases, paint, and brushes. The classes are a bit less structured than Corks n Canvas, which I really enjoyed. And Katheryn was great — she helped us just as much as we wanted, complimented our paintings even when we were feeling discouraged because of mess ups, and was incredibly friendly and pleasant. Our class lasted three hours, and we each left with a fun fleur de lis painting to hang in our homes.