If you haven’t spent much time in the late Kent Bellows’ art studio on 33rd and Leavenworth then you might not realize just how much neat stuff is packed into such a small place. Adorning the walls of Kent’s art studio you will find a myriad of family photos and images of master artist works carefully placed in mosaic like fashion. You will also find hand-sculpted props and toy artifacts from past works decorating the many packed bookshelves that run around Kent’s easel and an old electronic keyboard with monitors resting quietly by the back door. The room is charged with creative potential and it is a symbol of the importance of accessibility to creative tools for artists.
Recently a couple students from our new music program took an interest in Kent’s musical relics. The other day I found them combining their individual melodies and lyrics together into an original song using the grand piano patch on the Alesis keyboard. For an hour they sang and played together, working out compositional kinks and hooks. They reminded me of the few videos recorded of Kent playing that same keyboard. One of our mentors walked in as I was watching the students play and told me that right in the middle of a sketch, Kent would go over and play the keys for a bit and then return to his drawing. This interdisciplinary method of studio practice is so inspiring to me, and I am always encouraged when I witness our teens experimenting with different forms of expression and working together to discover new ways of creating.
-Weston