It’s not just another art gallery and studio in Niantic. Maribeth Stone plans to make the Art ‘n Image Gallery and Studio, at the corner of Hope Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a supportive place for aspiring and accomplished artists in the area, as well as a place to buy local art.
The studio, which opened in May, brings together all of Stone’s passions, including her business savvy. The 800-square-foot space is home for art classes taught by Stone, display and retail space for a growing little local artist’s cooperative, and an inspirational haven for creative types in general.
Stone had an art studio in Massachusetts and taught students for about 22 years, including in Canada, England and France. She and her husband John used to summer in Niantic and moved here fulltime about four years ago. After refinishing their beach community house, they both decided retirement wasn’t exactly for them.
“I found I missed teaching terribly, and when John founded Black Point Ventures Consulting, LLC, I decided to start over as well,” she said. “I love to paint and have had the opportunity to teach many students in the U.S. and overseas – it is my true love.”
Stone started out at Once Upon a Cottage in Niantic and quickly outgrew the available space. She selected the corner location, a former pottery studio, for its natural lighting, ample space for classes, sitting room, library, retail space and nooks for displaying artworks.
In addition to her art classes, Stone rents the space by the hour to other creative people to teach courses. This can be anything from arts to languages, computers, photography and beading to yoga, she said. The space can seat 30 to 40 people.
“Short of the library or community center, there really isn’t any space available for people to do this sort of gathering. Just come in and do your thing in a safe, quiet environment,” she said. “You can come in and have a cup of tea before class, enjoy the comfortable, friendly community spirit of the room, the cozy chairs, the relaxing atmosphere in the library/research room.”
Stone believes she has found a niche of artistic instruction that complements and differs from the courses offered by established art associations along the shoreline by helping students with specialized learning.
“Basically, I think a lot of the success of my teaching is because I interview my students so thoroughly. I find out what they want, and I gear all of my classes toward what my students want to learn, not what I necessarily think they should learn from a traditional standpoint of learning,” she said. “I don’t want them to feel like they have to keep learning the same stuff over and over, but from a different teacher.”
She admits it can be pretty scary to open an art studio in the shadow of an esteemed art college.
“I don’t want to keep painting circles, cylinders and triangles over and over again,” interjected Cricket Murphy, Niantic, looking up from her oil painting. She signed up for Stone’s classes to perfect her painting of trees after taking a semester at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Old Lyme.
“There’s an integrity Maribeth brings,” Murphy said. “This is her passion, and her passion ignites her students.”
“My father wouldn’t pay for me to go to art school,” Stone said. “So I majored in business and minored in art. And I drew plenty of circles over the years.”
Stone offers daytime and evening classes in watercolor and oil painting for adults with all levels of experience, starting with beginner watercolor. She also is available for private instruction of adults and youth.
“I have mixed levels of students in each class because I think they learn from each other that way,” said Stone. “They really do want to help each other, and they can offer good, constructive criticism to each other.”
Stone also wants to help other local artists gain visibility and promote their works through an artists’ cooperative. She has already lined up at least seven artists, most local to the area, and is looking for about that many more. Works currently on display and for sale include beading by Christine Watson, stained glass by Karen Thissell, painting on glass by Margit Hartil, jewelry by Mary Vetel, photography, turned pens and bottle stoppers by Giselle Styron, as well as Stone’s watercolor and oil paintings.
“I’d like it to be Connecticut artists,” she said. “I’d love it if they were all from East Lyme.”
Stone has developed a side specialty of designing and painting stylized watercolor maps of the coastal shoreline and scenes of local beach community signs. Prints of her originals are popular as vacation mementos for visitors and guests, as well as framed art.
Another example of her business sense, Stone has teamed up with the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina to offer artist’s weekend packages. The stay includes an art class and one of Stone’s prints.
She also offers small, private cubicles, as well as non-instructional ‘do-it-yourself’ space for someone who wants to draw or paint.
“The best part is when you’re done, you can leave your supplies and personal items in the locked storage area,” she said.
For more information, call the studio at 739-5500. After taking a break in August, fall classes will start in mid-September.