BURRILLVILLE-Hidden in the clock tower building on Tinkham Lane in Harrisville, two local women set up a business. They hope to be a beacon for local artists and a place to create, showcase and support the work of local talent.

Ellie Forte and Carol Cove opened the doors of Art Box Studio on Monday, November 1st, a community space suitable for all ages, with a gallery and retail store , Featuring local suppliers, as well as seminars and courses. The company held a formal grand opening ceremony over the weekend, inviting guests to visit on Saturday and Sunday November 6th and 7th to see what the studio offers.

Cove said: "We started this business based on the idea that we want a community space where both children and adults can feel comfortable and create creations according to their own conditions."

About ten years ago, business partners met when they became neighbors in Harrisville. Everyone brought a different background to this new business. They all have a history as creative entrepreneurs.

Forte received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1991 and is the owner and designer of Glass Sea Rock Tree. The business started many years ago, selling art made from nature through local shops and Etsy. Forte uses objects she found outdoors to make works, including sea glass, beach stones, driftwood, shells and branches. Forte has also worked in the clothing and jewelry industry for more than 25 years. She said she was fired during COVID, which first sparked the conversation about entrepreneurship.

Cove studied at the Art Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, and has been working in ceramics and illustration since the late 1990s. After working in the restaurant industry for many years, she started a designer cupcake business about eight years ago, matching her work with beer from a local brewery.

"We are both proficient in many art media," Cove said.

These women have another important thing in common: teenage children who are interested in art. They pointed out that schools and camps for young artists are often expensive and not common in the region.

In Art Box, artists of all ages will have a social space where they can create, and if necessary, the staff will provide assistance at any time. The studio is located in a part of the old mill building next to the Jesse Smith Memorial Library. The room has windows and natural light.

The business owner also hopes to establish contact with other local artists, prompting the opening of a gallery space in the new studio. The gallery will have a new artist every month, of which Chepachet's painter Stacey Graham will be the first of them, and about twelve of her works are now hanging in this space.

The couple appealed to local craftsmen and artists who wish to sell their work, and now offer products from 20 different suppliers in their retail stores, from cards and home decorations to bath products and locally made jams and jellies. Suppliers will change to keep the space fresh and will continue to accept consignment applications.

"For some people, it's more like a hobby, and life is like that," Cove said. "If they disappear, we want to make sure we still have stock."

"I want to support people because I know how difficult it is," said Ford, whose work is also in stock now. "There are not enough places to sell things."

Workshops and courses have also started, preparing courses for Thanksgiving crafts and cupcake decoration for children, as well as arranging adult wreath making courses in the next few weeks. On November 28th, they will hold a Christmas tutu class, and in December, they will lead craftsmen to make trays of "Santa Cookies". Most courses are fee-based and require pre-registration.

They will also host a "Parents Time Out" event next month to provide crafts, holiday movies and pizza parties for children aged 8 and above, so that parents have time to complete Christmas shopping. Event venues are limited and registration is required.

But the main motivation for launching this business is the open studio, which provides time as a temporary or member status for those who want to be creative outside the house. The entrance price is US$15 for adults and US$10 per day for children, students and seniors; membership fee is US$110 per month for adults and US$60 per month for teenagers and seniors, with handicrafts included.

The studio features weekly craft themes—such as the Day of the Dead Sugar Skull created this week—or young and older artists can simply choose their own creations.

At the grand opening ceremony this weekend, the owners offered member specials and showed off their new excavations at 180 Tinkham Lane. The craftsmanship of making wreaths with autumn leaves will be provided free of charge, and refreshments will be provided.

Artists who may want to show their work should contact the studio at (401) 568-5000 or artboxstudiosecretary@gmail.com. To keep up with the schedule of upcoming courses and events, follow the business on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheArtBoxStudioRI.

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