North Shore Volunteer Spotlight: Molly Gapp

This past spring, volunteer Molly Gapp began working with the North Shore artists on the studio’s first mural. It’s been quite an undertaking and through it all, Molly has been the embodiment of creativity and collaboration. She served as chair of the planning committee and worked with committee members to explore the mural’s themes, consider potential reference materials, create sketches, choose a color palette and then dive into the work of painting.
We hope to complete the mural this month, just in time for our September Sketchbook Swap Exhibition and Variety Show. As we prepare to unveil our master piece, we can’t help but wonder about Molly and what her work at The Arts of Life reveals about her. Artist Emily Aussem interviewed Molly to find out more. 
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Emily: How did you hear about The Arts of Life?
Molly: I heard about the studio from Lyndsey [the Studio Coordinator]. We went to North Park University together. The first time I heard about it, we had an assignment asking about our dream job and Lyndsey started talking about The Arts of Life.
Emily: How long have you been volunteering at the studio?
Molly: A little over a year and a half.
Emily: What do you like about the studio?

Molly: The atmosphere and the people who work here. The artists are kind and fun and creative and they really inspire me. I like how genuinely happy and eager everyone is to learn. I think that is really rewarding because you see everyone discover new things together. Like, remember when you and Amanda and Niki first learned to do photo transfers in the demo I led? That was really fun for me! I like the sense of community here. I guess I just like being here!
Emily: What do you do when you’re not at The Arts of Life?
Molly: I’m an art maker, so I’m trying to put together a portfolio of my own. And I LOVE being outside. When I’m not doing those things, I’m often helping my grandmother. 
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If you think you might enjoy the sense of community that Molly’s found at the studio, come take a tour and join us! Want to experience the joy of watching artists develop new skills? Fill out our volunteer application and get a front row seat to the creative process. 
Many thanks to Molly for all she does for the studio!