Egging Art classes move to studio home

Cindi Egging's Art 4 All Ages has moved from downtown Jackson Street to her Linden Street home.

Egging refurbished a space to serve as both her personal studio and to teach art classes to students of all ages.

This is not the first time Egging has moved her studio since starting three years ago.

"I'm like the gypsy art teacher," she said. "I've had art students following me all the way from when I was by the Coffee Corner to now."

Egging was first invited to teach art classes for children by Mary Katos, Blue Rooster Bakery and Cafe owner. The 10th Avenue business doubled as an art gallery.

"They moved, and so I moved next to Della's (Cafe), and had my art studio there for a while," Egging said. "I moved to the basement of the (Sidney) Fine Arts Center, and that didn't go anywhere after about six months."

Egging brought her studio to Jackson Street last year, identifiable from 13th Street by the building's sunny yellow facade.

Her business prospered, but the space itself was an unneeded expense.

"I hated to leave there, but I don't have to pay rent here. That's the bottom-dollar," she said. "I wasn't losing money having it there, but it just seemed like, I tried this for a while. Some people start in their garage and end up getting a place. I kind of went the other way, because I hadn't thought of doing it until Mary asked."

Egging renovated a room in her room, removing its cupboards and making other alterations.

"We took the carpeting out and did a little Jackson Pollock painting on the floor," she said. "We took the closet and put shelves in there to hold all our supplies."

As a class space, it features tables that adapt to her students' different ages.

Egging hosts students as young as two to four in the day, after school classes for teens and adult classes in the evening.

Transitioning from one space to the other did not stop her from teaching.

"We actually met this summer when it wasn't all finished," she said. "We just started up again."

The new space is smaller than the Jackson Street location, Egging said.

"We don't have the windows. There's some activities you can do where you can use the window to make stain glass stuff and we can't do that," she said. "We can't hang up art and show it off, and gather interest that way."

Holding classes in her home has its benefits, too.

"I don't have to drag supplies here and there. It's all here," Egging said. "That's wonderful."

Egging enjoys being able to introduce art to children and helping adults discovery their own creative voices.

"I love to see kids or adults have 'a-ha' moments," she said. "It's really rewarding to be involved with so many people's lives and get them excited about seeing things and using different materials. Everybody has their own personality."