My studio and gallery - an intimate space for the creation AND VIEWING of art
feb 10, 2024 — enjoyed spending the day at Business of art 2024, hosted by ARTspartners of central illinois and located inside The Romain Arts & Culture Center ART, INc. in Peoria. i appreciated the Excellent keynote address by artist and entreprenuer Alex Carmona; panel discussions, and breakout sessions. I attended a session led by artist and curator john Heintzman in the morning and one led by Bill Conger, curator, Peoria Riverfront Museum. Also met a new friend, musician, Emily (emilele)
update (jan 2024): unplugging is proving to be a challenge, but overall has definitely been worth it. thanks to everyone who has patiently waited for me to respond to them! i’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had this month to explore The art institute in chicago and to spend quality time at the Faith ringgold: american people exhibit at Museum of contemporary art, chicago. highly recommended, this exhibit closed on feb 25, 2024! If you weren’t able to get to the exhibit, definitely visit her website: https://www.faithringgold.com/
On a recent evening last fall, after a productive, inspiring day that included both art and a walk in nature, I began to notice a quiet desire within me to unplug for a time from the online world. (But not the world itself, just the online part!)
I contemplated what it might be like to stop staring at screens, be completely offline, and not just for several hours during the day, but 6 days a week, How would that feel, and how might it influence my work? I’m immersed in a new body of work - watercolor and textiles - and both benefit from totally uninterrupted time and space.
So I made a plan: I’m taking screens (laptop, phones, TV, etc.) out of my life for 6 days a week. I’ll allow one day a week, Tuesdays, to be online and use my cell phone.
To be sure, I’m lucky to have assistance with staying in touch. Steve will be checking emails and texts and if there are emergencies, I can respond. But really, I’m looking forward to this experience and the impact it may have on my creative efforts. I began this new journey on December 7, 2023 and am still looking forward to see where it leads. Admittedly, it’s been difficult too, and I haven’t always been able to stick to my schedule, but it has been worth the effort and as of February 2024, I’m still at it.
why I decided to unplug from my phone and computer for a time:
my new studio at MUSE morton
I’m thrilled with my move to MUSE! I so appreciate the awesome founders and owners of MUSE, Katie and Ben Vandenberg, and being able to “talk shop” with one of my studio mates, the excellent landscape painter, Rose Hubbard. I arrived Labor Day weekend 2023 and the move was easy thanks to the pros at Tunks and Co. My design for the new space fell right into place. Plans for more gatherings and events there are in the works, so stay tuned!
With the move, I’ve gained more time for creating art, walking, and nature. Some photos of our beautiful region are included below —
update! a superb mexican restaurant has arrived in morton - it opened just in time for us to enjoy an early dinner after a 2-hour hike at Farmdale, the day before Valentine’s day. it’s called Verandah, cocina latina https://verandahmorton.com/ the perfect place to meet in morton for dinner, drinks, brunch, or lunch - Verandah - highly recommend reservations! and it’s just 3 minutes from my studio at MUSE! 
this exhibit is now on view
at category-art at my
new location at muse Morton!
you can now find
melissa wood & category-art
in morton, il
located inside MUSE morton, 71 e queenwood rd
below: photos from the archives 2023
at our previous location in Peoria
at Category-art with the hive project on view
chelsie and daniel travelled from Chicago
Melissa with pretendly friends Jennifer and larkin rosa
HIVE: silk, wire, and photo transfer
from the archives ~ 1st Fridays 2023:
more new work in progress on view at MUSE Morton
CATEGORY-ART
exhibitions / demonstrations
PRIVATE art LESSONS
Melissa wood
instructor / founder / artist