Resources and space for Stockton’s art community tends to be limited.
Rey Vargas, Founder and Executive Director of “The WerQshop” has a solution.
The WerQshop is a non-profit organization located downtown in The Café Coop.
It’s a place for artists learn and show off their work.
“Most if not all beginning artists don’t have access to their own studio, if they do have the space they then end up having to pour hundreds of dollars into supplies and hardware,” said Vargas. “We hope to alleviate that and allow artists to get right into creating.”
Aside from giving artists a place to work for free, The WerQshop helps provide art supplies to artists from donations the organization receives.
“The fact that paint has a high cost can also deter an artist from feeling they can experiment, for fear of wasting materials. This fear greatly slows an artist’s growth. Experimenting is the best time for learning,” Vargas stresses.
This is a great opportunity for artists to try a new medium, or to expand their artistic capabilities.
When artists are ready to show off their work, The WerQshop also serves as a gallery.
Most galleries charge artists just to hang up their work. This is called a “hanging fee.”
The WerQshop does not charge a hanging fee.
“All we ask is that we get a 20 percent commission for brokering the sale, this is in hopes to build an artist’s confidence and understanding, so that they can move on to bigger galleries,” said Vargas.
Every week, free workshops are offered to teach techniques artists can use like shape study, still life study, landscape composition and anatomy.
The WerQshop is a public place for artists who want a place to work, study, or meet other artists.
“The mission of the WerQshop is to develop and support the local artist community,” Vargas said.
The organization is currently looking for drawers, painters, photographers, or any other type of artist to be featured in the gallery on December and January 2015.