Spotlight On… Whistle Stop Studios

by Mary Vanderpool

Many artists say they need absolute quiet to work. That’s not
the case at the Whistle Stop Art Studios, located within spitting
distance of the train tracks at 115 Kimberly Avenue in Santa
Barbara. There, when the train chugs in with its whistle blowing,
it’s accepted as a welcome sign of daily life by the artists who
work there.

Since the studio opened in October nearly a year and a half ago,
it has served as an ideal workspace for Ruth Ellen Hoag, Mauricio
Arcesio, and Josepha DiRado. Each of the three friends had been in
need of a good studio space for quite some time, and when a sunny
space opened by the tracks it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Now, the gallery is a colorful and vibrant display of their
talents, as well as a good place to watch their art take form on
the canvas.

“We each have our own style; what ties us all together is that
we all work in the figurative, even though our approaches are
different,” said Hoag of the dynamics in the studio. And their
pieces complement each other perfectly as they rest against every
available surface in the studio, filling it to the brim.

Aside from using the studio to create and display their own
work, the artists also teach workshops from time to time. The next
is coming up this June, and will focus on color and composition. As
always, visitors are welcome to watch and browse.

Whistle Stop Studios is located at 115 Kimberly
Ave.