Just now got a call that our printer of ISSUE is going out of business. Four Star Press has been with us a long time and we truly will miss them. Now we need to find a new printer for our arts magazine.
New problems are always coming up at The Studio. We respond to the best of our ability, and eventually things get resolved and smooth out again. Our lives are like that — up and down — and The Studio is like that, too — a giant organism that sometimes has bad hair days. Things break, wear out or just stop working and we do our best to resolve the problem.
Kilns are a big source of pain-in-the- butt syndrome. Each firing is another attack on brick, heating coils and controllers — a controlled destruction that eventually dilapidates. The kiln, literally eating itself, takes a long time to do its worst. A well-cared-for kiln can last 10 to 15 years or longer with good maintenance.
Even light fixtures have a relatively short life. Our florescent fixtures die every 10 years or so — some longer, some shorter — and I am told that florescent lighting is the next old school bulb to become obsolete. This means all of our 35 florescent fixtures will have to be replaced with new fixtures and new bulbs. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it for now.
Our sprinkler system has to be upgraded, with a radio-controlled alarm signal and tests on our sprinkler heads to see if they function or not. If not, we must change the multitude of sprinkler heads and upgrade the water delivery system, all of which comes at a substantial expense.
Our phone system was switched from analog to digital which screwed up all of our phones for the past two weeks and we are still struggling with the replacement of a system that will cost us $1,400 plus.
Sometimes, all we can do at The Studio is keep our administrative head above water. Other times are smooth sailing — at least until the next storm.
Usually I don’t share the trials and tribulations that occur in the day-to-day operations and functions of The Studio — but I think it is important to illustrate that The Studio just doesn’t happen. It is made to happen by a myriad of people in the wings who give this place flight, all the little pieces of the puzzle are meticulously put together by many hands, hearts and minds.
As I often say, The Studio is just a big building. Without people to make it function and people to enjoy the function, we have an empty building that does no one any good.
So, remember to participate and get involved, and reap the benefits that an organization like The Art Studio can offer.
By Greg Busceme