Domina Dea Speaks

Where have I been?  In a word: BUSY!

After DomCon my calendar filled up with sessions, presentations, a heavy travel schedule and some happy, unexpected, surprises.

And, then, one not so happy unexpected surprise.  I lost the lease on my current studio space.  As it turns out, there is a gaggle of middle aged women in my building who decided that I wasn’t the sort of person they wanted living/working here.  As a result of their meddling, I lost my lease to a little known, seldom enforced, bylaw in the association rules.   After a heavy two week travel schedule, I returned to Atlanta to begin the search for a new place to call home and relocate Second Circle Studio.

Last week, I’m relived to report, I found it.! Just 2 miles from my current space, this old factory is now an active artist community situated on 12 acres of property in what started out as a cotton gin in 1889 and was later used as a munitions plant during WWII.  It’s been recently acquired by pair of young, hip, developers who have a vision of a great artist community in West Midtown Atlanta.  The potential for the property is amazing.  They offer small, day use, spaces for artists as well as large, vast, live/work spaces such as mine.  Some of the old buildings will have to be rebuilt, others will need new roofs and still others are unsafe and will have to be completely dismantled and rebuilt.   They also offer large event spaces (I can’t wait until I host my first large play party there!), a community run coffee house that roasts its own coffee, an organic farm where one can purchase seasonal fruits and veggies and organic, fresh, free range eggs and best of all, an amazing backdrop & setting for photo shoots.

Today my project manager is on site and the renovations have begun.  We have a three week schedule to make the space work.  That includes building walls for the studio space, electrical work, renovating the bathroom, getting a washer/dryer hook-up, kitchen overhaul, painting, cleaning and most important, getting the studio set up!

I am incredibly blessed to be a part of a community of people that love, respect and support each other.  There are a number of wonderful men and women who have volunteered their time and talent to make this move as simple and easy as possible.  If you’d like to help, let me know.  I’d be thrilled to have your capable hands or, if you’d prefer, you can pitch in with a gift card for Home Depot, Lowe’s or a GreenDot MoneyPak refill to offset the cost of renovations.

I will be updating on the progress and posting photos here.   Sometime in Late January or early February I will host an open house for the new space.

xoxox

Dea

The view from Second Circle Studio

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