Old Town Artists. It's studio space, but it's really the people.

This is the blog for Old Town Artists, which has been a Twin Cities tradition for more than fifty years now, and which I had the honor of joining last year. All these recent peony paintings are things I've been doing at OTA, with many more to come.

View from the Window at Old Town Artists, St. Paul. Oil on panel, 9 x 12", by Tracie Thompson

I love this group and want to invite other artists/aspiring artists to come meet us on Wednesday nights for figure drawing. We're friendly, fun, and even have wine and popcorn (another tradition) at the end of the modeling sessions.

My studio is at OTA. It's affordable, gives me a place to focus and really get into the groove as an artist, and most importantly, I get the community -- not only of Old Town Artists itself but the many, many other working artists whose studios are in the same building. ACVR Warehouse is a hidden treasure, an artist beehive that keeps growing all the time.

We have a few spaces open at Old Town, so if you're looking for room to do your thing, contact me and I'll give you a tour. It's a great location with fantastic views, free parking, plenty of food nearby (hey, that's important! We also have a fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, and water heater for tea), and you get to participate in the Saint Paul Art Crawl. If you're wanting to do more figure drawing/painting, membership means that those sessions are free for you.