There is a new art scene in Ketchum, and it's not on Main Street or even First Ave. It is located in the heart of the light industrial area next to the hardware stores and gyms. Introducing LI2, a collection of four local artists, Mary Rolland, Jan Lasseter, Heather Hansen and Brittany Sanders, who have opened studios there.
"I feel like it is our version of SOHO," Sanders said. "We have all of this young energy moving into a neighborhood where people live and do great work."
Last Sunday, the four artists opened their studio doors to a crowd of art collectors, family, friends and local business owners. Patrons sipped on wine, listened to a violinist, nibbled on chocolate-covered strawberries and took in the artists' works.
While most of the women work in paint, their focus, their experience and their end results vary. Rolland, an artist and real estate agent in Manhattan, works with photographs and paint. Lasseter, one of the first artists to move into the area, is a seasoned painter. She started the original arts and crafts fair in Sun Valley and the area's first gallery, the Potato Gallery.
Hansen, who has had her studio for around five years, paints frescos and makes fresco sculptures. Sanders, who has work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Getty, paints on Japanese paper. Her studio is also home to two old and beautiful printing presses.
What brings these artists together is not just their use of paint, but also their love for the Wood River Valley and, in particular, the light industrial area.
"I love the wide streets, and that my neighbors are framers and sheet metal sellers," Sanders said. "As an artist you need those supplies all the time. Here I can just walk over or ride my bike—it is so convenient."
It is also the only place in Ketchum where an artist can get the square footage she needs for an affordable price.
"You can't find this anywhere else," Hansen said.
While the first LI2 open studio was a huge success with a large crowd and quite a few sales, the artists hope to expand the studio collection.
"I would love to see this develop," Hansen said. "To see this become an artists' center with even more activity."
According to Sanders, there are already discussions with other artists and gallery owners who wish to join the group. Dennis Ochi of Ochi Gallery has already expressed interest, and Dale Chihuly opened a studio in the area in the last year.
"I'm hoping at the next show we double the number of artists," Sanders said. "The more the merrier."
Mary Rolland is all smiles at the LI2 grand opening. Rolland recently opened a studio on Northwood Way in the light industrial district. Express photo by Chris Seldon.
