Art comes to Lawrenceville this summer

New studio set to open in village in July.

By: Lea Kahn
   Ruthann Perry has gone from building theater props to building an art studio — the soon-to-be-opened Maidenhead Studio, that is.
   Ms. Perry plans to open the art studio, located down a flight of steps in the basement of 11 Gordon Ave. in the village of Lawrenceville, right after the Fourth of July.
   Monday morning, Ms. Perry was putting the finishing touches — a coat of periwinkle blue paint — to the door in the courtyard that leads to the studio. And despite its subterranean location, the room is light-filled and cheery.
   Ms. Perry’s plans to offer four, one-week sessions of art camp for children, ages 6 to 13. Two of the four sessions — both for 6- to 8-year-olds — are filled. But there is room for young artists in the two remaining sessions for older children. The sessions run from 9 a.m. to noon.
   "The ideal way to teach art is to expose children to the medium, show them how it works and then let them go," she said. "We can walk to Weeden Park on The Lawrenceville School and the children can make sketches."
   In the fall, the Maidenhead Studio will offer after-school classes for children and teens. Ms. Perry would like to have a "mommy and me" art class, for mothers and young children.
   The summer program includes evening art classes for adults in soapstone sculpture — and possibly more art classes for adults in the fall. Ideally, she said, she would like to replicate the offerings of the Art Student League in New York City. Artists could take seminars or draw sketches of models for a small fee, she said.
   The Maidenhead Studio is a new venture for Ms. Perry, who has taught art at St. Paul’s School in Princeton Borough for the past nine years. Before moving to Lawrence 11 years ago, she worked in New York City. She built props for theatrical shows, and she also was involved in the acquisition of props for film and television productions.
   When Ms. Perry and her husband and young daughter moved to Lawrence, she continued her backstage work at McCarter Theatre. But theater, film and television work is not necessarily compatible with family life, so she "drifted" into teaching art instead — including a stint at the ESF summer camp held at The Lawrenceville School.
   But now, after a nine-year career as an elementary school art teacher, Ms. Perry decided it was time to strike out on her own. Thus, she decided to open the Maidenhead Studio. It was a big decision to make, she conceded.
   Ms. Perry, who said she reads newspapers "cover to cover," came across advertisements for commercial space. When she discovered that the rents were affordable, she decided to contact Main Street Lawrenceville to inquire about possible studio space.
   Ann Garwig, the executive director of Main Street Lawrenceville, gave Ms. Perry a list of landlords in the village of Lawrenceville. Ms. Perry made some phone calls, and property owner Gary Hullfish offered her the space for her studio. Soon, that space will be filled with tables and art supplies.
   The cost of the children’s summer art program is $105 per session.
   For more information on the Maidenhead Studio, contact Ms. Perry at (609) 896-4134. The e-mail address is [email protected].