community ^ makers
On April 30, the Cherry Pit Collective transformed their space into a pop-up shop for Wanderfest!
A creative community in the heart of Kansas City The Cherry Pit Collective Words MELISSA COWAN Photos PATTI KLINGE & MELISSA COWAN
W e can do that together” is the phi- losophy of the Cherry Pit Collective, a communal studio space for artists, makers and creatives to not only work, but also col- laborate and share ideas. Director Kelsey Pike and Associate Direc- tor Adri Luna have been friends since 2009. They met at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI), where they both studied printmak- ing and discovered their true passions: for Kelsey, papermaking; for Adri, abstract art. After a successful Kickstarter campaign last summer, they opened the doors to the Cherry Pit Collective at 31st and Cherry in Kansas City’s Midtown. “In the beginning stages (of owning a business), you’re working on your bed or on
for fine artists and “anyone who wants a nice paper for a special occasion.” As she unhooked the sheets from their clothespins, she explained the papermaking process — transforming cotton and other fibers (never wood) into unique products people can use for their wedding invitations or office stationery. “It’s almost meditative,” Kelsey said. “I love the sound of peeling the paper off, and to make something so common from start to finish is gratifying.” Papermaking is no easy task. Sheets can weigh 50 pounds or more because of the wa- ter, but that never deterred Kelsey, who “loved it from the first time (she) ever did it.” She was a studio tech at KCAI, cleaning in
your floor watching Netflix, and it’s kind of lonely,” Adri said. “So, to be able to come into a space and just be around other people who are also making, it’s really fun.” The Collective is currently home to 16 local entrepreneurs and freelancers. Each studio is a peek into the artists’ different worlds. Some spaces are stacked with clear containers of tools and materials; others are decorated with the artist’s own work — from watercolor paintings and calligraphy prints, to vintage clothes and installation pieces made of coffee filters. Toward the rear is Kelsey’s studio, where large sheets of paper hang to dry like wet laundry. Through her business, Sustainable Paper+Craft, she creates handmade paper
30 VINTAGEKC SUMMER 2017
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