Editor's note: This is the third in a three-part series profiling the Nelsonville Arts Community.
In addition to a tourist draw and source of economic development, the arts in Nelsonville also provide necessary services to the area.
The Foothills School of American Crafts employs two area residents through Athens County's Work Experience Program.
County residents on welfare who participate in the program must work at an assigned location in order to receive their benefits, said Tracy Galway, community relations coordinator for Athens County Department of Job and Family Services. She said 220 people in the county are employed through the program at 130 locations.
Program participant Alicia Ziglar, of Nelsonville, chose to work at Foothills last March and must work 129 hours per month to receive $550 in benefits. At the school, she helps with building renovations, office work and publicity.
Working at Foothills has taught her skills she needs to find a job, she said.
"I actually have more confidence in myself since I've been here," she said. "They've raised my self-esteem."
Robin Todhunter, a founding member of Starbrick Clay, said getting involved with Nelsonville residents is something she and the other founding artists wanted to do.
"Community involvement is incredibly important to Starbrick," she said.
One of the ways they get involved is by teaching art to area residents.
"It is important to us that local kids get exposure to the arts," she said. "We see the need. What are these kids going to do for art?"
Ann Judy, Starbrick founder, said the Nelsonville school system offers no visual art classes until the high school. Judy said she wanted to involve residents by offering classes, which are held in the basement of Starbrick. Students make everything from bird feeders and plates to vases and bowls. Residents who have experience with ceramics can sign up for open studio time. The classes can cost between $40 and $95, and open studio time costs $50 per month.
"I teach classes to everyone — adult classes, homeschool classes, kindergarten all the way up to seniors," she said.
Often groups contact her to arrange special classes.
"I had 14 Girl Scouts come in and earn a badge last month," Judy said.
Besides classes, Jen Tvorik, who owns Starbrick Supply in the backroom of Starbrick, said her shop is the only place in the county where artists can get ceramic supplies. Otherwise, they would have to drive out of town or have their supplies shipped from Columbus.
Ohio University, Tremble, Athens, Logan and Alexander schools, Passion Works, the Dairy Barn and Hocking College all use Starbrick Supply for their clay and equipment orders, Tvorik said.
In addition to tourists from all over the country, Stuart Opera House also brings in people from all around the county, offering a place for local theater groups to perform.
The opera house is home to Athens County's own Athenian Players Theatre, said Steve Haskins, one of the troupe's founding members. The 40-member company, teamed up with Nelsonville's 72-member Berean Community Players and performs three shows a year, he said.
Haskins said the Athenian Players started in 1992 and searched for five years for a permanent place to put on their shows. Stuart's gave them such a place.
"The first five years we existed, we didn't have a specific place to perform," he said. "We just read wherever we could — the senior center, area schools."
He said Stuart's provided a space where the players could set up more permanently. "Since it's a real theatre, we didn't have to set up and tear down every night," he said. "It's ideal for us — we don't have to mess with seating, lights or a sound system. It's a dream; what we always wanted."
It costs the Athenian Players $1,000 a show to perform, but that money goes toward production costs. Stuart's and the players usually split the income from ticket sales, Haskins said.
17 Archives
Chuck Bowen
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