Arts, crafts club forming in Whitewater
By Chris Spangler
A community arts and crafts group is forming in Whitewater.
An organizational meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Wisconsin Makers, located at 200 E. Clay St.
The club is the brainchild of Mike Alvarez of Whitewater, whose recent post on the Whitewater Anything Forum spurred interest in creating an arts and crafts group for people of all ages and artistic abilities. While the club is based in Whitewater, all area residents are invited to attend. “This club is for people interested in arts and crafts in general, from drawing and painting to paper art, pottery, woodcarving and pretty much anything art-related,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez is the owner of Handy Mike LLC, a handyman service. In his homeland of Puerto Rico, his art was a business, but in the [continental] United States, it is mainly a hobby. “I do art almost every day. Even if I don’t feel that I want to draw, I draw everyday. I make myself to do it as a habit. It helps me with my anxieties. When I finish work, I do this and I feel so relaxed,” he said.
Alvarez decided to start the club after noticing how his two children, ages 11 and 13, sometimes are bored and need a release after school. “Everything started because of my kids,” he said.
He said the nonprofit Wisconsin Makers is the perfect venue because its educational mission matches what the arts and crafts club is all about. “I thought that a makerspace is not only a place where we can show what we know, but we can learn from other people and share with the community,” Alvarez said.
He plans to offer classes and expects that, in time, other artists will step forward to share their knowledge, as well. “I think I am going to be teaching some drawing, painting visual arts, and then we can make other classes more hands-on, like woodworking, woodcarving and stuff like that. I want to integrate every part of the community, from the seniors to the little kids, so everyone can come and participate.”
Being bilingual, Alvarez hopes to generate interest from the Hispanic community, as well.
Wednesday’s organizational meeting will be a time for brainstorming, he noted. “We can start by seeing what people’s interests are, which is great,” Alvarez said. “I am like water. I take the shape that I need to take just to make it work. We want to have fun first and foremost, and then if you want to become a great artist, that is up to you. We want to spark imagination,” he added.
Alvarez said that he thinks the club will meet weekly on Thursdays. However, if there is enough interest, it could meet twice a week with classes on two different topics.
Club members need not join Wisconsin Makers to participate. However, donations toward paying utilities would be greatly appreciated.
Wisconsin Makers is a makerspace that creates an affordable, collaborative and educational environment that inspires people of all ages to becoming innovators within their communities by unlocking their skills through continual training. It has members from Jefferson, Walworth, Rock and Waukesha counties and beyond, and all have access to the workshops around the clock. The facility houses machine, welding/fabrication, electronics, automotive, 3-D printing, laser engraving and woodworking shops. It also offers pottery, ceramics, metal art, quilting, fabric arts, matting/framing and more. The building is handicapped accessible and has off-street parking, WiFi, and many other amenities. For more information about the makerspace, contact Chris Spangler at (920) 728-2960.
