We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Caroline Baker and Bobby Weschler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Caroline & Bobby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
We came up with the idea of opening an eclectic gallery and gathering space for local visual and performing artists several years ago when Raw Ink, the tattoo studio that Bobby owns, was located in Gaithersburg, MD. What is now “the beachKraft Studio-Gallery” started as a small art gallery inside a larger tattoo shop. Bobby is also an oil painter and we both wanted a place to showcase our paintings, but also to uplift other artists in our community. When we were forced to make changes because of the Covid pandemic, we considered having a coastal location but realized that we really had no visual arts space where I live in Olney, Maryland. Olney is also Bobby’s home town, so we made the decision to bring a combination space for the visual arts that would build on my background as an artist, art teacher and art professor, and integrate his already established high-end tattoo studio. This has resulted in an art space like no other that provides a wide range of classes and services as well as providing a venue for local emerging and established artists in the community to share their work. After a year in business, we have added a small stage for performance artists and a riser stage for our weekly live model drawing sessions.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The beachKraft is a partnership that came about because we recognized a need in our community for a visual arts venue. I had been an art teacher in public schools, private settings and at the college level and decided to bring my art practice to my local community by providing a place where art can be seen and created in Olney, Maryland.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
For me personally, I had to make a big shift when I moved to the D.C. Metro area. I had previously been living in the rural Appalachian mountains working as an art instructor at UVA’s College at Wise. Family needs suddenly brought me to the Olney, Maryland. It took me a few years to readjust and really solidify the idea that I wanted to continue a career in the visual arts. When Bobby presented me with the opportunity to partner with him as an extension of his tattoo practice, I decided to join the partnership to offer a new approach to a community art gallery. By having a venue that includes a working studio, gallery space, small performance space and tattoo services we are providing things that were not immediately available in the Olney community before. This way, visitors can see and purchase original artwork, but also participate in the experience of watching the art being created. Because we offer classes, workshops, and group sessions for adults, children and families as well as art camp sessions for children on break from school, anyone in the community can join in on the production of art in our studio. We have made a selection of art supplies available so that people in Olney won’t have to drive out of their way to get something they need. The addition of tattoo and piercing services rounds out the wide range of art offerings we have at the beachKraft.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I have always enjoyed all kinds of visual art and I did have quite a collection of original art that I had purchased over the years from other artists and craftspeople. When I had to move suddenly, I lost most of that collection, so I decided that my next art purchase would have to be something I could hold on to no matter what the future would bring. I had a couple of small tattos that I wanted re-done or covered up for this new stage in my life, so I decided to invest in a large custom piece on my back. I shopped around, looking for an artist that would be as excited about this idea as I was, but would be able to design the whole piece and treat it as fine art. Bobby was hands-down the most passionate and least intimidated about the idea, as well as being a master at the style of realism I was looking for. This kind of artwork takes many hours to execute, so we had a lot of discussions about art and painting while he was tattooing me. That is where the original idea for having a gallery inside of Raw Ink developed. We started the original gallery in Gaithersburg in 2017 and decided to become partners in the beachKraft in 2021.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebeachkraft.com
- Instagram: @beachkraftgallery
- Facebook: @beachkraftgallery
- Linkedin: Caroline Baker
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-beachkraft-gallery-olney
Image Credits
beachkraft gallery