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September 2025
Momentum is a tricky thing—once it starts rolling, it feels less like a gentle nudge and more like a sprint downhill!
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That’s exactly how this past month has been around the shop. So much has happened in the span of just a few weeks that squeezing it all into newsletter-sized bites has felt more challenging with each edition! Classes, collaborations, new arrivals, community happenings—each one could be its own story.
| But since this is a one-page-at-a-time kind of relationship (not that we have to label it...), we’ll do our best to condense things! | | |
On Monday evening we spotted the kind of listing we’d been chasing (across every platform imaginable) for more than a year. IU Surplus announced a batch of conference tables at a can’t-miss price—so by Tuesday morning, we were first in line to claim our share!
Now the Creative Commons is fully modular and ready to flex. With eight tables and more than 30 upholstered rolling chairs, one person can flip the space from banquet/boardroom-style to theater seating, classroom rows, or clear the floor entirely for easels—all in minutes.
Goodbye, folding metal chairs. Hello, new possibilities!
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Last October we partnered with Megan Snook of The People’s Portraiture for a Tintype Pop-Up—and we’re thrilled to bring her back on October 25 & 26!

Megan isn’t just a wet-collodion whiz; she’s a gifted portrait artist with a rare eye for light and shadow. Pair that with her down-to-earth, welcoming presence (and stories from the road you wouldn't believe!) and the result is an heirloom quality keepsake you can treasure for years.
Each portrait can include up to 5 individuals, or, 1-2 people with additional props. Last year, one couple brought a quilt made by a family member to use as a backdrop, and another individual (themselves a photographer), was photographed with their own tripod and camera. 

Every portrait tells a story, and Megan's skill conveys every detail.
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Your time to practice, experiment, and make progress where it matters most to you.
Offered 3x/month, you can work in any medium you like to capture our curated still life, recreate photo references, or draw from your own imagination.

See progress. Get feedback. Grow!
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Collage Collective
Today!
5-7pm
Connect, create, and cut it up with other artists! Free, age-inclusive, and open to all. Bring your own supplies or use ours!

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After School Atelier • October
Wed. 10/1, 10/8, 10/22
3:30-6pm
By combining individualized mentorship and structured studio practice, young artists grow technical skill, creative confidence, and a portfolio.
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First Friday Art Lab
Fri. 9/5
5-8pm
Give your young artist an evening of art, pizza, and fun while you take in Bloomington’s First Friday art and culture scene!
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Lotus: Matchbook Memoires
Sat. 9/27
12-4pm
This collab with Lotus is your chance to contribute your perspective to their ongoing 'Seeds of Memory' collaborative history project. Free and all-ages friendly!
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Model Session: Anatomy
Thurs. 9/4
6-8pm
A tradition and essential foundation for artists, these sessions offer a focused opportunity to study the nude human form in all its complexity and nuance.
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Saddle Stitch Workshop
Sat. 10/4
1-4pm
Learn saddle stitch bookbinding and make as many hand-bound booklets as you like using simple tools, beginner-friendly techniques, and artisan papers.
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Model Session: Apparel
Sat. 10/11
12:30-3:30pm
This drawing session features fully clothed models, with focus on expressive poses, stylized outfits, and costumed characters. October's session will feature a spooky scene!
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Alcohol Inks: Tarot Study
Sat. 10/18
1-5pm
In this half-day workshop, receive your personal reading from master astrologer Gail Fairfield, and create something that reflects the journey within and ahead with her guidance and insight.
| | We’ve gathered all our free Thursday programming under one umbrella, Thursdays in Common, so it’s easy for you to spot what’s drop-in, low-barrier, all-ages, and open to everyone. Our priority is making it easy for you to make your way in, try something new, and simply feel connected! | | |
Collage Collective
Tonight!
5-7pm
Connect, create, and cut it up with other artists! Free, age-inclusive, and open to all. Bring your own supplies or use ours!

View on calendar
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Art Club
Thurs. 10/9
5-7pm
Join us this spooky season for Cursed Printmaking! We'll handle the supplies, just bring your creativity!

View on calendar
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Bloomington Zine Club
Thurs. 10/16
5-7pm
Share your art + writing + ideas through self-publishing! BYO project or contribute to our monthly community zine. Free, age-inclusive, and open to all.
View on calendar
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Bread And Roses Bash
In August, we contributed a gift basket to support fundraising efforts for the Hoosier Abortion Fund, organized by Bloomington DSA. The event raised more than $6k, all of which helps pregnant Hoosiers access the safe and legal care they deserve!
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Science Night Out
At WonderLab’s request for something wicked or wonderful, we skipped down the yellow brick 4th Street with a basket even Dorothy wouldn’t trade for ruby slippers! Don't miss this showstopping fundraiser this Friday!
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Exodus Refugee
This November, we'll initiate a partnership with the Bloomington chapter of Exodus Refugee to host a few different events, starting with Refugee 101.

This event will unpack what it really means to be a refugee—and what resettlement looks like here in Bloomington, and how we can support our newest neighbors.
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See you in the next edition!
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