By Laura Marie
On High Street, InsideOut Studios has a sunny, colorful storefront, filled with bright paintings, stunning fused-glass art, and a variety of practical and ornamental pottery. What many people don’t know is that it also provides a creative outlet in the schedules of dozens of local artists.
“We’ve been in this space since 2015, and we have 50 local artists that come Monday through Friday and do art,” says Monique Runzer, Marketing Representative for InsideOut Studios. “They are all adult artists with disabilities, coming from all different backgrounds. They make the art and we sell it for them, and they make money as income.”
The studio, which is supported by a partnership between Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati, has gained a reputation among art lovers around the city as a perfect destination for unique gift items and beautiful home decor.
“We are known for our fused glass work and for our ornaments. People start calling about them and we always do new ones each year,” says Runzer. “What’s neat is that we’ll package an ornament with a brochure about the program, so at ornament exchanges and things like that, people love it.”
Recently, they’ve found a new niche in creating custom fused-glass awards; rather than a standard trophy or plaque, local awards like the Citizen of the Year have been made at InsideOut. Runzer and the many artists have a can-do attitude when it comes to custom orders of many kinds.
“When people come in and say, ‘can you guys do this?’ we say, ‘yeah, we’ll figure out a way!’” says Runzer. “We do a lot of local collaborations.”
Recently, they’ve done artwork for Kirsch CPA in Hamilton and Cohen Recycling in Middletown, bringing artists and company staff members together to create unique art installations that spark joy.
They emphasize that all the money that comes in goes to maintaining the studio with art supplies, run the storefront, and pay the artists. They work to make the environment a positive one full of creative freedom.
“Not everyone who comes here has a lot of variety in their days, so this is a bright spot in their week. They come in, we have music jamming every day, and we start the day with hugs and high fives. They overcome obstacles you and I cannot even imagine sometimes,” says Runzer.
Artists like Jody, Alphonso, Tiffany, Jerry, Bobbie Jo, Daniel, Vicki, Devin, Kathleen, and Ashley all introduced themselves and showed me around the studio, sharing memories and favorite moments from their working days.
“I’ve been painting a lot of leaves and trees for Fall, as well as an owl and a cat,” says Ashley Parris, an artist at InsideOut Studios. “I worked at Cohen as well; in the shop, I take messages and ring up orders.”
The income the artists make goes to both fun things and practical expenses like rent, but many of them seem to see the studio as a reward in itself, with both the community and the work inspiring them.
“I enjoy meeting new people,” Devin Ragland, an artist at InsideOut Studios, says. “I like talking to people more now.”
Creative consultants and art educators, like local artist Stephen Smith, who is the Art Education Coordinator, help in the studio so that the artists see continual growth.
“You don’t have to be a great artist before you get here; we have trained artists who help them develop the skills. You just have to be interested in this environment,” says Runzer. “Everyone gets to pick and choose what they work on; they don’t have to make any particular thing on a given day, and our art teachers are here to elevate the skills and help.”
Visit InsideOut Studios at 140 High Street or learn more at insideoutstudioart.com