Creating an Artful Community
Life long artist and Coachella Valley native Debra Ann Mumm is making an impact in the desert art scene. With 30 years of artist materials training and numerous painting workshops, this Palm Springs High School and College of the Desert alumni is the creator of Venus Studios LLC, a business that focuses on providing materials, education, studio space and exhibition opportunities for the local art community. Debra also shares her insights as an art teacher, specializing in personal creativity and acrylic systems, as a public speaker on the benefits of art and creativity, and works as an advocate for public art projects and creative place making.
As a working artist, her focus is painting on non-traditional surfaces, assemblage and installation work constructed primarily from found objects near her studio in Landers, CA. She finds that the themes of unity and ascension that are often the focus of her compositions are best articulated without the barrier of language, which can divide people and cultures. Art itself acts as a universal language providing a powerful platform for dialogue between all human beings. Ultimately, this is how we change the world.
As an entrepreneur, Debra has grown Venus Studios from a small art supply store into a creative hub for the community. With a very recent move to the heart of Palm Desert she plans to continue to expand educational services and artistic opportunities in the new “Cultural Corridor” area near San Pablo. The new central location is a very exciting step in a new direction for Venus Studios as well as the City of Palm Desert. Before the business was even moved in, Debra secured permission from the building owner and the City of Palm Desert to create a highly visible mural near the new location. While there is only a picture of the blank wall to show for the moment… the big reveal is coming soon. This piece is a bold vibrant statement that will enhance and draw attention to the area, as well as provide opportunity for people to enjoy art outside of the traditional museum or gallery setting.
The relocation of Venus Studios LLC and Venus Studios Art Supply was not a decision made lightly, especially considering that the art supply has over 12,000 items that had to be moved. The idea began with Venus Studios pARTicipation in the Vision San Pablo Event held by the City of Palm Desert in May, it became clear that the plans for the area were a perfect fit for the business. The new configuration gives the art supply a separate space from the studio next door, and the private studio suites in an adjacent building. It is also within walking distance of some great eateries as well as College of the Desert and El Paseo. It is a neighborhood with considerable creative potential.
The next focus is on an even bigger project… a Center for the Arts located in the same centrally located area of Palm Desert. Debra is teaming up with Sarah Schiedeman founder of Coachella Valley Art Scene (a 501c3 non-profit) combining their arts forward programming with Venus Studios to create a Center for the Arts.
A conversation with Debra Ann Mumm
What is going on in your world right now?
The big thing right now is that Venus Studios is moving to the San Pablo “Cultural Corridor” area of Palm Desert. The Art Supply, the studio, and private studio suites are now located in a spot that is close to the College of the Desert, El Paseo, and walking distance to some great eateries. We love this new central location in the heart of the city. We are building the new studio suites to be ready in early July. This is an exciting new spin on the model we had upstairs, a group of creatives sharing a space, with their own private locking studios, a common kitchen area and lounge. It will be great for the artists that have been at our old location to have a more private space that they don’t have to share with the workshops and weekly classes. They have become an art family, and we are so happy to be able to bring everyone to the neighborhood. Plus, we have room for a couple of new additions. Rental information is available on our website.
The other really exciting thing is this neighborhood is screaming for some public art. This is a place where the arts can have an extremely positive impact. There has been an approved mural proposal for a wall that faces San Pablo Ave. near our new location, thanks to the generous permission of the building owner and support from the City of Palm Desert. As an advocate for public art, having this groundbreaking mural in close proximity to our new location is a dream come true. It is fantastic to have the support of the city behind us moving forward with this project. Can’t wait for the big reveal!
And, as if that were not enough news about what is going on, there is more. Even bigger news is in the works… it is amazing to even be saying this, but a perfect location has been discovered for the creation of a Center for the Arts, in the very same San Pablo and Highway 111 neighborhood! Everything has been lining up to point us in this direction, it is an incredible opportunity to create a central location for a wide variety of arts programming. Coachella Valley Art Scene (a 501c3 non-profit) and Venus Studios are merging their programming and efforts to build a permanent Center for the Arts.
More about this… CVAS is currently operating MAKE, a pop up space at Westfield Palm Desert, but are due to relocate in August. The programming they offer ranges from emerging artist gallery shows, to poetry workshops, open mic nights and live music concerts. They are also well known for their crafting events held at various locations around the valley and annually at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Venus Studios offers classes and workshops in drawing and painting for kids and adults of all levels. From portraits to landscapes to abstracts, something for any visual artist to explore. In our old location the gallery focused on local emerging artists and we are known for our community exhibitions. It is a perfect storm for CVAS and VS to come together. This space is worth the effort it is going to take to make it happen. Anyone interested in volunteering or being a part of the growing board of directors, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It is a big project! We are looking forward to getting to know more creatives in our community and create an amazing space for them to thrive.
What would you guess the future will hold?
For me personally, makers gotta make, not that I am not creating, I am… something big and beneficial to the community, which is an amazing place to find yourself, but I also need time to create for me. I have new ideas and directions that I would like to experiment with in my work, so getting back to the studio in Landers is going to be critical to my overall wellbeing and part of the big picture plan. The other part is to make more time for speaking, teaching and writing. Creativity is a hot topic. Getting people to let go and create and be authentic and enjoy the act of doing is very rewarding. And scientifically proven to be good for you. The more we can engage in creative thinking, the better chance we have to come up with solutions to some of the difficulties we face. Creativity and artistic expression are stepping-stones to healing inwardly and outwardly. From ourselves, to our communities. Any opportunity I have to give in assisting others with engaging in their creativity will be a consideration.
I recently led a “Quantum Artist” workshop at the Palm Springs Art Museum, for the Artists Council group, which was very inspiring. Venus Studios leads a lot of “how to” kind of workshops, so I wanted to do something different, more about the why of it and being authentic in our creation. It was a group comprised primarily of my mentors, (slightly intimidating) but it boiled down to everyone suffering from very similar creative insecurities. Making art is a vulnerable situation. “Art is not for sissies” is something you hear me say often, and it is really true. It is difficult to make things just to please ourselves for some reason. And when you are a professional, it becomes more difficult because you are making a product and attaching your livelihood to a chance that someone likes it. Then we start to make for others approval, which is a terrible situation for most creatives. Even though I am a materials expert, I feel like most of my future teaching focus will be on authentic creative flow. The right products are helpful to get you as close as possible to what you can visualize in your imagination, but it is really about the vision, having the courage to express it. AND, enjoying the ride.
Other stuff…
Thoughts I would add… well, the 2017 Venus Studios workshop season is a fantastic all-star line-up of really amazingly talented instructors. Venus Studios continues to offer an impressive selection of painting and drawing workshops for 2017. The 2017 schedule has just been released and is open for registration. Most of these classes will end up with a waiting list, and people are already signing up to hold their spot for next season. If you are an artist or thinking of making art, we are here for you at any level. Basically I like to think of Venus Studios as your creative support team. From the technical information you need about products, to instruction and inspiration. The mission is to be there creatively, for our community.
The Art Supply store is open now in the new location, 44850 Las Palmas Ave. Suite D, Palm Desert. The studio next door in Suite C will hold classes through the summer. There are currently classes Tuesday through Saturday for kids and adults. Also, people can get together in the new space with friends and paint! It is a great summertime activity. Bring snacks, hang out, listen to music, and get creative.
