By STEVEN JUPITER
BRANDON—Though Brandon is often called the “art and soul of Vermont” because of its concentration of artists and galleries, most notably the Brandon Artists Guild, there wasn’t a place where locals could take art classes or just come to make art. Instead, they had to travel to Middlebury or Rutland for those resources.
No longer.
After a hectic and successful first year in downtown Brandon, the Blooming Bungalow boutique is offering art classes in its new downstairs studio space.
“The vision I’ve had in my head for the last 10 years is now a reality,” said Bungalow proprietor Allie Walter, who saw the potential for a classroom/studio space the first time she visited the building that became her boutique.
Walter majored in studio art in college and had access to top-notch studio spaces on campus. Then she lived for a while in Athens, Georgia, home to the University of Georgia, where again she noted the availability of bright, clean studio spaces.
When she returned to Brandon, where she ran the Blue Moon boutique and now Blooming Bungalow, she couldn’t help being disappointed by the lack of such amenities for the town’s many artists.
“How can we be the ‘art and soul of Vermont’ and not have spaces for people to learn and make art?” she asked herself.
Among the first group of classes offered are introductions to gouache and watercolor, taught by local artists Shy Carter and Jill Brooks, respectively, and “Create a Custom Lampshade,” taught by Allie Walter herself. These classes are one session each and include the materials needed for the session. Prices range from $45 to $120. Dates and registration are available on the website bloomingbungalow.square.site. Classes will begin in mid-April.
As Walter settles in and gets the hang of managing the studio—“There’s a learning curve!”—she’ll offer classes in other media, such as fiber arts and glass. In fact, the studio already has a whole section set aside for glass work. And there will eventually be hours set aside for people to come in and work independently on their own projects as well.
And for now, classes are scheduled during the boutique’s hours of operation, but in the near future Walter expects to be able to offer evening classes as well.
Walter doesn’t see the studio space as solely about instruction, however. Instead, she’s hoping to create a place where people can also connect doing something they enjoy.
“It can be hard to meet new people,” she said. The studio space will provide a low-stress social environment as well as high-quality, fun art instruction.
So, if you’re interested in learning new techniques and meeting new friends, check out Blooming Bungalow’s website (noted above) and find a class that appeals to you!
