Some arts are messier than others. And working on those messy projects might result in splatters of clay, blotches of paint, dirty water, dyes, and paper scraps. For small artists looking for a place to produce those types of art, it can be an almost impossible task.
Enter The Messy Arts Guild in Green Bay. Led by board members Karen Eckberg, Karen Kjell, and Lynn Wakefield, the newly formed and soon-to-be 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization is hoping to offer a solution.
Eckberg, owner of Owl Arts, knows the problem only too well. When she was looking for a place to do pottery, she had no place to go and took over the garage at her home.
She said, “I kicked the cars out to have a space from April to October. In the cold months, I went to the Artisan Center at NWTC. But in 2022, I had run out of room and needed to find a dedicated space where I could work.”
The search was difficult. She discovered that most of the buildings that fit her requirements – water availability, a heat source, and floors that could get splattered – were also very large. She needed less than 500 square feet. Eventually, she found a small, temporary space; now, she’s hoping to have something more permanent.
That is becoming a reality due to Evergreen Theater recent purchase of the former Keller Elementary School at 1806 Bond St. in Green Bay. Evergreen will be using the building as a permanent rehearsal and performance space and storage area for props and costumes. In addition, workshop offerings will be expanded and additional rooms will be rented to other theater groups and artists.
That’s where The Messy Arts Guild comes in. They are already a tenant of Evergreen. Eckberg and her business, Owl Arts, are a tenant of the Guild. The plan is to develop an arts hub where small artists have a secure place to continue their art.
The mission statement is, “Our nonprofit organization’s mission is to offer studio access for intermediate and advanced artists, workshop space for the public and member artists, gallery space and a supply store for artists’ needs.”
The space is being painted and prepared. On its Facebook page, the Guild is asking for workshop suggestions so that planning can begin, as well. The ability to hold workshops is something Eckberg is especially excited about.
In the past several years, she has traveled around northeastern Wisconsin giving workshops. She credits Ryan Kauth, a SCORE Northeast Wisconsin mentor, who has advised her for years and helped her build that part of her business.
“Ryan was very helpful as I tried to figure out what to charge, the minimum number of people I needed, and how to market it,” she said. “With his information, I calculated that I should charge about $40 per person for a 2½-hour session.”
The workshops have been very popular and she has held them at places such as the Door County Library, Heritage Hill State Historical Park, the Einstein Project, the Art Garage, and the Green Bay Botanical Garden. But all of that travel comes with challenges.
She said, “I have to bring all of the tools and supplies with me. When you’re talking 16 people at the workshop, that means 16 pounds of clay to haul. And then we have to glaze right away and let the clay dry and then go back to return the projects.”
All of that additional effort makes the new space that much more anticipated. Eckberg looks forward to having people come to her instead of having to go to them. Plans that will open the space to the public are progressing steadily.
“It was about a year ago when I was talking to friends and discovered that they had the same idea. Our vision was to take this space and create a nonprofit arts hub,” she said. “In February, I thought, ‘Here I go.’”
Eckberg decided to be part of two entities. With her business, she will continue to create pottery, but workshops will be given through the Guild. She will be donating all of her workshop supplies to the Guild to help develop a robust workshop facility.
“As soon as the space is up to code, we’ll start offering a variety of workshops,” she said.
In addition to having a place to flourish, Eckberg sees another advantage.
She said, “I was searching for some sort of community in April 2025 when it struck me how many people are doing their art at their kitchen table and have no community. Yet, there is a whole community out here. It can be lonely when you are a single artist in one room making things by yourself. Some days I enjoy peace and quiet, but there is a beautiful community that I missed.”
The community she envisions will also be very supportive. She complimented the City of Green for its commitment to the arts and the assistance being provided by the Laura Schley, the city’s public arts coordinator. Schley’s job is to administer public arts programs and grants and expand art opportunities in the area. The Messy Arts Guild aligns perfectly.
“Laura helps us remember that Green Bay is more than just the Green Bay Packers. There are a lot of people here making a living out of the artisan business community,” Eckberg said.
And if Eckberg’s success is any indication, it is easy to see how the arts are flourishing. Eckberg might not have had business classes before starting Owl Arts, but with the help of Kauth, she has learned what it takes.
What started as a hobby became a business that sells at art and vendor fairs, is busy with commissioned work, teaches others, has had pottery on display, and has an ecommerce shop. Her experience is one that she hopes to see replicated.
She said, “Most people aren’t going to make money selling right away. You have to do other things to reach that point. I don’t think that many people go into this thinking they’ll make a living in art. They start as a hobby and stumble into it as a business.”
With The Messy Art Guild, she wants to be part of helping them do just that. Just as she learned the business basics from Kauth, she is ready to pass on that knowledge. She’d like to see the amount of space needed at Evergreen grow from one room to many. To make it easier for the artists, insurance will be provided and the lease rates will be low.
Tenants will also find that there are people in the Guild who are happy to answer questions on how to write a business plan, set up a LLC, pay taxes, develop a website and social media, and market their hobbies so they might someday become businesses. All of this supports the growth of art in the community.
“I truly believe that art is the reason why you live,” Eckberg said. “Art keeps people grounded. Life isn’t only about going to work and coming home exhausted. It is about what art offers in allowing us to explore emotion. This is beauty.”
Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and past district director for SCORE, Wisconsin.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: The Messy Arts Guild in Green Bay to provide space for local artists
Reporting by Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt, For Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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