We recently connected with Chris Lauer and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Against the backdrop of a very small (albeit famous) town, I was presented with an opportunity to move from a comfortable apartment into a warehouse that I had been using as a studio space. On the surface, it was not a very promising option. There was no heat, not much for plumbing, and it was not clean. But it did look similar to a dream I’d had for many years; a dream of a studio collective and artist community. I should also mention that it was very cheap.

For the first year, it was only me, building out my studio space like a grown up clubhouse. I would drive my own bicycle taxi a few hours a week to make some money for food and rent and have the rest of the time to do art and read books with a warehouse door open to the world. Artist and musician friends would drop by and spend the day jamming and talk and soon we all started dreaming.

We started dreaming of a stage and studios and access to studio equipment and a coffee bar atmosphere where people could just be. Creative spaces are hard to come by, especially in small town America. And where they are, they are often expensive. But we thought that with enough DIY energy and creativity, we could build a creative space that creates a creative community without making creatives pay the expenses.

We began building with whatever materials we could find. We put in a stage door concerts and hosted bands. We built an ‘artisan’ kool-aid and coffee bar. We made a diy printing press and dark room. All with volunteers. And any money we would earn would go into building better equipment or building shabby studio spaces.

Waldo’s and Company took shape in that space and a community was built around the ideas of creativity and community. And we did it all with our own hands building with pallets and doors. So it’s no surprise that after two years of public concerts, ‘gallery’ exhibits, and a lot of new art made- Waldo’s was shut down for fire code violations.

But in that time, we had founded a community that wasn’t ready to give up. And from there, we grew!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Chris Lauer. I am a college dropout and a former vagabond. My skill set is primarily one of studio art, barista, and community builder. I am originally from Minnesota, but stumbled on Gettysburg Pa while hiking halfway across the country and fell in love with its charm. I travelled a lot; mostly on Greyhound or hitchhiking, but I always found myself back here.

I had studied studio arts in college before dropping out, and I experienced what a lot of art majors do- the very sudden loss of access to studio equipment.

I had studied printmaking, and a little ceramics; both mediums that require lots of expensive equipment and space and I had none of those. So I went back to painting. But I was always frustrated at that loss.

The organization that my friends and I started together was meant to solve that problem as well as two others- a lack of community space; especially for youth and creatives that is substance free, and a limited voices represented in our regional culture.

Waldo’s and Company is a happy intersection of solutions. We have evolved to include a coffee house/roaster that is open late and only asks for donations for drinks, a gallery and stage that bring new and diverse voices to our county, and a Tradeshop membership that operates just like a gym but with studio equipment instead of weights.

The combination of these things means that the artist and the patrons are not siloed from each other and the multiple income sources make it affordable for artists to play in our ceramics studio, darkroom, and or print shop. We also have 9 affordable private studios and a shop where our creators can sell their work and often make much more money than their membership costs them.

I am incredibly proud to have carved out a space for creatives in the hearts of Gettysburg, Pa- this town has been known for its history and its supposed hauntings, but the culture is changing. This town is becoming known for its creativity, culture, and inclusivity, and Waldo’s can’t claim all the credit, but our organization has played a role in changing the face of this town in ways that make it better every day.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

My hope for communities that hope to support the creatives among them is two fold. First is to remove barriers like cost and space and allow artists of all income levels to participate. Money should not be a prerequisite to creativity.

Second is to let art be itself. We need to stop putting so many expectations on artists and just let them work. So often it feels like creatives are not valued unless they are making art that is pretty, art that is useful, or they are teaching our kids. The audience seems to have such a view of what artists are supposed to do; art for marketing, art for industry, art for community engagement. and those things are fi e in their place, but it is so important to value art for art sake. creativity often gets weird, sometimes gets ugly, and often doesn’t make money- but it is still valueable, and it may lead to the next great innovation, or new style, who knows. just let art be art on its own terms.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

The most important thing that i wish to communicate with non creative minds is that ‘good art sells’ is not only an untruth, it is a damaging falacy. There is a wild creativity that breaks barriers, makes statements, offends, and innovates; and creativity like that can produce the greatest art, but will likely never make money. Art that is wild, has a limited audience by nature.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.waldosandco.com
• Instagram: @waldosandco, @artofchrislauer
• Facebook: Waldo’s and Company

Image Credits
Headshot: John Doukas Photography johndoukasphotography.com