Kira Bursky’s Helene-inspired art gets ‘powerful’ response
Artist Kira Bursky’s Tropical Storm Helene-inspired art is on display at the West Asheville Library.
- Cream City Tattoo owner Ryan Schepp has launched the STC Art Hub to connect people with St. Cloud artists.
- Local businesses can also use the platform to connect with artists for displays.
A St. Cloud tattoo artist and business owner launched a new tool this month to help residents find artists and for local creators to access resources.
After spending many years considering how to better connect the area’s artists, Ryan Schepp, owner of Cream City Tattoo in St. Cloud, started the STC Art Hub this month.
The Art Hub brings together lists of artists, hosts and art educators on one site, which Schepp said is meant to streamline the process for the community to find local creators.
“I’ve been chatting with artists of all sorts, and they’re like, ‘wouldn’t it be neat if there was just some place where we could all get found?'” he said. “My main focus of this now is to get almost all kinds of creatives on the same page.”
The Art Hub sorts artists by their different fields, including painters, videographers, potters and others. So far, nearly 20 artists have signed up to be featured on the site, offering upholstery, hair styling and body art, among other services.
The initiative also includes a section for restaurants, businesses and galleries to offer wall space for featuring local artists.
Schepp said the idea to include hosts for artwork came from challenges local businesses have faced during past Art Crawls, where they struggled until the last minute to find artists to feature in their spaces during the popular downtown event.
“A place might not be that well connected, and nobody knows that they can really show there, and then it’s a scramble at the very last minute. This way, it gives host companies a way to list themselves up there too,” he said.
The Art Hub also includes a spot for art educators to share information about their classes.
Schepp was inspired to create the STC Art Hub from his own experiences hosting art nights at his tattoo shop, Cream City Tattoo, which also includes an art gallery in the back of its downtown space.
The art night events brought local artists together to network and create art, though many expressed frustration that their work was not being seen. However, Schepp said many of them were not putting in work to build their brand beyond search results online.
As a result, he wanted to make it easier for local artists to find resources and escape getting buried among other businesses online.
“You get a list of whoever pops up first,” Schepp said. “You almost have to rely on word of mouth, and I think with the way social media is going … how are you supposed to find anything?”
Schepp said he also hopes the project can be a good reminder to the community that artists are behind many aspects of everyday life, from logos to furniture.
“Look around at everything you see, an artist made that,” he said. “That salt shaker didn’t need to be in that shape, that chair at that restaurant probably went through two or three revisions. … It’s a creative service.”
Going forward, Schepp said he plans to keep the Art Hub simple and focused on the local businesses and creators. For now, he is focused on continuing to grow the community of artists included on the site.
St. Cloud-area artists and businesses looking to be included in the initiative can sign up by reaching out to Schepp through the STC Art Hub’s website at stc-arthub.com.
Teagan King covers business and development for the St. Cloud Times. She can be reached at teking@gannett.com.
