This is the first blog post for the Up Arts Incubator and surely you are wondering why I'd post this self-portrait in the style of Edvard Munch to mark the occasion. Well, I'll just say this is how I looked and felt after hearing the news about businesses having to close due to the pandemic. 

But, let me back up... for years I've been searching the Buxmont area for a location to open an art gallery and creative space for collaboration among artists. I spent a lot of time dreaming about where the space would be located and what I could accomplish with such a space. I envisioned a place where artists could come together to critique each other's work in a similar fashion to what I experienced when getting my degree at Tyler School of Art. I really feel that critiques push artists into new territory that is hard to reach when the only voice you hear is your own. Many times other artists have insight into your work that you didn't even know was present. 

I also wanted to create a gallery that embraced artists of all skill levels and walks of life– a space that supports up and coming artists, neurologically different artists, LGBTQIA+ artists, minority artists, and more. 

After years of sorting through real estate alerts to my email that led to spaces that were well beyond my price range or in areas with little foot traffic, I finally found the perfect space in Lansdale PA to put my dreams into motion. I contacted my very good friend, Theresa Smith, whom I've collaborated with before, and asked her if she'd like to share the space to use for her vocal music studio, Smith Vocal Arts. And, I spoke with my sister Holly, who is a budding fashion designer to find out if she'd like to be a part of the project. Together, we made a plan and thus was born Art Beat Studio, the building that houses each of our creative endeavors.

Fast forward to early January 2020 when we signed our lease... at the time, the future looked bright and we felt unstoppable. Weeks later, though, the pandemic hit and it felt like the bottom was dropping out of our well-laid plans. So, the self-portrait above represents exactly how I felt at that time. I really debated about finding out if we could break our lease. Instead, though, our landlords were kind to us and reduced our rent for a period and we marched along with our plans in a very modified fashion. 

Here it is September, and I am finally opening my first show at Up Arts Incubator featuring the work of Jeff Reeder, who is not only a talented artist and photographer but also my husband of over 30 years. I hope that the Up Arts Incubator will become everything I hoped for and more and become an integral part of the local Lansdale community and larger art community in the Buxmont area. 

Cheers my friends, 
Dalissa McEwen