Mt. Airy Art Garage a 'Dream Factory'

When Linda Slodki started the Mt. Airy Art Garage she had one thing on her mind.

“I wanted it to be a dream factory,” Slodki said.  “I wanted it to be a place where we could build a community, and artists could make connections.”

Slodki tells the story of a local bass player to illustrate her point.

“Every week, we have a jazz jam,” Slodki said.  “There was this bass player who came one week, and he kind of just sat back and watched.”

Slodki added, “The next week he jumped in and now he’s part of the group.  He told me that he’d been looking for a place to play for a long time. “

For Slodki, the art garage is as much about connections as it is about community.

“A lot of artists feel isolated,” Slodki said.  “But we try to give them a place where they can work together and be inspired by each other.”

The Mt. Airy Art Garage has membership open to every artist in every medium.  They have photographers and leatherworkers, quilters and sculptors.

“We try to create programming that will extend our reach in the community,” Slodki said.  “I want to show people that it’s really possible to enrich a community through art.