DAC Artpothecary hosts artist-led workshops
The Developing Artist Collaboration announced a new series of artist-led workshops at its West Rehoboth DIY space, The Artpothecary, at 37401 Malloy St., Rehoboth Beach.
The DAC is an artist development nonprofit dedicated to elevating artists in order to transform communities for the better. Its Out of the Box DIY program was created as a revenue generator for the organization while also employing local artists to teach functional art projects to the public.
DAC started its DIY programming to help members of the general public discover their inner artists while creating beautiful works they can proudly hang on their walls.
Last December, the collaborative introduced The Artpothecary, a remodeled section of its West Rehoboth facility where the public can come and create acrylic paint pours, a popular medium with people of all ages and artistic abilities.
“We learned a lot during the pandemic trying to sustain an e-commerce business model that offered a wide range of project options. We saw it would be best to focus on one offering and do it really well,” said Leah Beach, DAC founder. “We decided to step away from all of our other DIY projects and focus on the acrylic pour experience.”
Out of the Box DIY offers more than 30 medium-density fiberboard shape options, from a sand dollar to a T-rex and everything in between. Guests pick their shapes, then pour their unique color variations from a wide selection of paints to create their very own artwork at the Artpothecary; hours are 4 to 7 p.m., Fridays, and 12 to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays.
This spring, DAC began partnering with its artist member base to explore and offer artist-led workshops on Thursday evenings. “We wanted to empower our artists and give them the opportunity to showcase their skills to our community,” said Beach. Educational opportunities like these workshops are a fun, interactive way to connect artists to locals and tourists alike. Proceeds from each workshop go directly to the leader, a great additional income opportunity for working artists.
DAC partners with its artists, coaching them on the workshops and creating professional marketing content to help boost their success. While the artists are sharing their creativity with guests, DAC offers a full bar menu for customers to enjoy a complimentary beverage during each workshop.
One of the first artist-led workshops offered was the Resin Wave with George Todd. He has led multiple workshops as well as private parties since the spring, with most selling out. Out of the Box artist-led workshops include jewelry making, felting, seashell mosaics, body products, macrame and more. “We hope to engage even more artists in the summer months and expand our roster of workshops even further,” said Beach.
Another new Out of the Box offering is its Rising Artist Summer Youth Series of children's workshops hosted Wednesdays through Aug. 9. Kids ages 6 through 12 can spark their creativity in morning or afternoon sessions. Led by three of DAC's most active members – Laura Gaeng, Hannah Whiddon and Ashley Woolsey – this workshop series provides a fresh experience for kids on summer break.
“We are encouraging kids to try new things and experiment with art. We hope they will leave each workshop wanting to discover even more creative outlets,” said Gaeng.
“The purpose of these workshops is to connect our local community with our artists. These are great ways to learn new skills plus support our creative economy. Next time you’re looking for something to do alone or with loved ones, come down to West Rehoboth and make some art, have a drink and invest in our local artists,” said Beach.
For more information, go to outoftheboxdiy.com or follow on social media @outofthebox_diy.
