Cape's Mozaic Art Studio celebrates first anniversary

A lot can change in a year. But the excitement Marti Hartle and Leslie Compass have for their art business remains powerful, infectious even. The two women have created glass art under their Soul Reflections partnership for roughly a decade, but opened Mozaic Art Studio to have a home for their creations. The studio -- which also features work by other area artists -- has been open one year this month and the women plan to celebrate. For the anniversary, the gallery spread its artistic thumbprint into the front window of Bilderbach Art Plaza with extra items on display. The co-owners also plan to have wine tastings from Rothbrick Crush Winery and music from Shaad Shubert. They will hold a drawing and have started an ongoing mosaic piece of art that patrons can add to when they visit the gallery. Hartle and Compass talked to SE Live about their experiences in the gallery so far.

SE LIVE: Was running a gallery harder or easier than you thought?

LESLIE COMPASS: Both, there are times when it seems there just isn't enough time. But it certainly wouldn't be as easy or as much fun if Marti and I weren't running the business together. She is truly my best friend and we work very well together. I can't even imagine being in this without her.

SEL: Has anything interesting or funny happened since you guys opened?

MARTI Hartle: During the music Festival last October we had lots of interesting people come through and a visit from a Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow look-alike. During one of our First Friday events and our neighbor Dockside's "Zombie Prom," the electricity was out for awhile. So we had zombies walking through the halls and [we were] doing sales by flashlight. Made for an entertaining evening!

SEL: Do you try to keep a mix of items?

COMPASS: Yes, we do have a variety of art in the studio. Mosaics, pottery, photography, pastel and watercolors, goat milk soap, hand painted tiles, hand carved gourds, hand blown beads and jewelry, hand painted pillows and fabric and some small furniture, like mosaic tables, benches and hand painted tile tables.

HARTLE: We like to be able to offer many different styles from contemporary to rustic. If you don't see what you're looking for, be sure to ask, all the artists do custom work.

SEL: What's your favorite part of owning a gallery?

COMPASS: Meeting all the interesting people that come through the studio, both local and out-of-towners. It's a very laidback atmosphere, and sometimes people will spend a great deal of time in the plaza browsing through all of the galleries. You can find out a lot about people. My other favorite part is setting the display and changing up the studio with my business buddy before every First Friday. We spend a lot of time down there and we've had a lot of laughs -- might have something to do with lack of sleep.

HARTLE: We have been doing mosaics for nearly 10 years and shows for about eight or nine years. It's so nice to have a home and be able to share it with the other artists and the public. The week before First Friday is the most fun, seeing the new art that everyone brings in and then changing the studio around. Then that evening seeing all the hard work pay off when you see the appreciation for the art on peoples faces. I love it when people want to know how something is done or ask questions about the artists.

SEL: Do you have any advice to someone who wants to open a gallery or art store?

HARTLE: I was pretty nervous to start this adventure, but my desire to follow my dream was stronger, and I surrounded myself with people who wanted it as badly as I did.

COMPASS: Be open to change. Select other artists to display in the studio by medium and personality, because it's just as important that everyone mesh well with each other as it is that all the art work mixes well. We have been very fortunate to have such a great group of artists in the studio with Marti and myself. A big thank you to all our artists, Julie Bricknell, Roger Sanford, Thomas Ertman, Barbara Bailey, Connie Schmidt, Russell and Louise Callahan, and Steven Juhlin. It has truly been a great year!