Local artist encourages students to make a difference

A local art studio and its young students are donating their artwork to benefit safari animals in Africa — something that not every child gets the opportunity to do.

Sommer Kibbee, the head artist at Art Junkie, said she tries get her students to do something bigger than themselves and this year’s charity idea is no exception.

This year, paintings will be donated to a charity event, Art for the Wild, at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, and the money will be used to help animals across the globe.

“A little bit of creativity and working with their hands can be used to brighten someone else’s day,” Kibbee said. “If the kids know the art piece is going to somewhere extra special they will work a little harder.”

Kibbee said she was emailing with the Blank Park Zoo when they mentioned a charity event that the studio could get involved in.

“The last eight months have brought on an awesome partnership with the zoo,” Kibbee said. “It’s crazy how this little studio in Newton, is going to be helping a rhinoceros in Africa.”

Kibbee’s studio was full of colorful animals including, a lion, a rhinoceros, an elephant and a giraffe Thursday evening as students and Kibbee worked to complete the projects.

Isabelle Utz, a first grader in Colfax, was drawing a giraffe during Kibbee’s class. Kibbee demonstrated to Utz how to draw the eyelashes on the blue-eyed giraffe and helped her as she used her brush to make thin, sweepy strokes.

Kibbee stresses to parents and painters that her studio is a “judgment free” zone.

Amanda Utz takes her daughter to Art Junkie weekly so Isabelle can express herself and be involved in art.

“Once we found out there wasn’t going to be art classes this year in school, we started taking her here in September,” Utz said.

Kibbee was encouraged at a young age to be involved in art from her father, Dana Brown, who is a sculptor and painter and by her mother, Jackie Althof.

“Every weekend as a child it was some other hands on thing he would teach me,” Kibbee said. “People would ask me what I wanted to be growing up and I would always say an artist, and they would say ‘well what else do you want to be, what else you want to be?’”

When Kibbee worked for Arrow Pest Control in March 2014, the tenant said she could also use the small space as her studio.

“I was his bookkeeper during the day, and then I would paint by the huge window, and at that time I only had one boy who took lessons from me,” Kibbee said.

In the early days of her business, Kibbee said everyone began to give her the nickname of “art junkie.”

“People would bring me junk and I would constantly tell everyone to recycle everything — so, eventually people would start bringing me things and I would turn it into art,” Kibbee said.

Kibbee said the interest of her studio began when kids would peek in while they were at the hair salon next door.

“Kids next door would come by and ask ‘can you give me a lesson?’” Kibbee said. “We would pack people into that room, and then I outgrew that space.”

Kibbee doubled her space by also moving into the business next door to Arrow Pest Control, but that wasn’t enough for the demand of art lessons and the interest she was receiving.

“Six months later, we were busting at the seams,” Kibbee said. “Students, classes, birthday parties, all of these people calling.”

In 2015, Kibbee said she inquired about the large space that was on the top floor of the historic building, as she knew it would be perfect for her growing business.

The top floor fit Kibbee’s vision for a studio that could house lessons, birthday parties and wine and canvas classes.

Kibbee said it’s important for kids to have an outlet, to get their hands dirty and to get inspired.

“I try to tell the kids that they can paint with anything they can find, if they don’t have paint brushes at home, they can use a spatula and 50 cent paint,” Kibbee said.

Kibbee said if she is having a stressful day, the studio is her outlet, and more importantly, when the kids come in “it all just goes away.”

“I just wanted a cool space to paint my murals, and I just started inspiring kids to get involved,” Kibbee said. “I feel completely blessed, I get to be a real artist and make a real living and see the kids’ smiling faces every day.”

There will be an open house in the spring at the studio for students and their family and friends.

“It’s kind of like their recital. They get to make the invitations and hand them out to their family and friends,” Kibbee said.

Art Junkie, located at 225 1/2 First Ave. W. is open 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and by appointment only on weekends.

Contact Kayla Langmaid at
641-792-3121 ext. 6513 or
klangmaid@newtondailynews.com