Gray face of Create Space classroom building gets some color on its cheeks

While locals have ignited their artistic spark by attending classes at the Create Space Langley classrooms, the building’s old gray facade within the South Whidbey Community Center lacked inspiration.

In a moment of what locals refer to as South Island synchronicity, artist Melissa Koch and Create Space co-founders Peggy Taylor and Jackie Amatucci realized the classroom exterior needed to reflect the art within its walls.

“I was walking down to set up my art class and thought I’ve got to talk to Jackie and Peggy to do something about this facade that is a dirty gray color,” recalled Koch, who began teaching classes at Create Space last March. “A lot of times students can’t even find the building. I let the thought go. The very next day, Peggy called to say, ‘Hey Mel. Jackie and I would like to commission you to paint a facade.’ That is spirit at work.”

While Koch considered her pitch to brighten the building up, Taylor and Amatucci realized that both the Create Space building and website needed something to make them sing.

“Create Space has been difficult for people to find,” said Taylor, speaking from her vacation cabin on an island in British Columbia. “It’s been a chronic problem. When we started Create Space, I created the website—and I have no website experience—it’s an unhelpful website. We recently received a grant from a local friend. What better way to use some of that money than to support a fabulous local artist to do a mural for us, create a new logo and develop a website that would be useful to our participants?”

Taylor invited Koch to design an uplifting look for the classroom exterior, and Alice Springs, Koch’s daughter, to redesign the website.

“I’m a real fan of murals,” added Taylor. “They make me happy just to look at. They build a sense of community—like something really beautiful is happening. The idea of a mural appealed to Jackie and me.”

Impressed by Koch’s silhouette art of marine and edge-of-the-sea animals and plants that graces the Whale Bell Park at the corner of Anthes. Avenue and First Street in Langley, it was natural to engage the artist to spruce up Create Space.

“Melissa started teaching at Create Space, and we were aware of her incredible background and talent,” said Taylor. “The wall next to the whale park is so beautiful. She’s done massive numbers of public art installations in Seattle. That’s only part of her talent. I think she’s a very special person. I appreciate her commitment to nature and having people connect with nature to support environmental issues. She’s so grounded in that. Create Space is all about creative expression and making art and making beauty. What better use of this grant than to make Create Space beautiful?”

Engaging her daughter Alice Springs, and recent Woodhaven High School graduate Alicia—pronounced Ah-lee-cee-ah—Jenkins, Koch’s wall design for Create Space Langley incorporates a French painterly technique—fine léché—which means ‘licked finish,’ one in which the brush strokes of the artist are invisible.

“The idea came right after the mixed media class I was teaching about layering color, texture, and building composition with layers of information,” said Koch. “I did a sample board, which showed the technique for the background colors. It’s a vivid palette. Very contemporary. My signature style is silhouettes. This piece incorporates my artwork superimposed on a background.”

Repurposing a design from a previous Seattle-area public art proposal that was not chosen in the final round, Koch selected imagery that says what goes on inside Create Space. She chose a vibrant background of yellow, orange, green, turquoise and blue with an overlay of Langley animals and botanicals—herons, bunnies and a raven, amid plants and flowers.

Jenkins, who has taken Koch’s art classes in the past, was painting the Create Space walls the day of this interview. She said, “Mel reached out to me. She had helped us organize our senior capstone art project for the Frank Rose Gallery earlier this year. Mel said she had a project in the works. I said, ‘Oh, that sounds interesting.’”

The Frank Rose Gallery is located within the South Whidbey Community Center. It hosts a a variety of artists’ work and is run by the South Whidbey Arts Advocates. Its website notes: “The gallery offers opportunities for artists not represented by a commercial gallery, as well as youth art and interactive, participatory and immersive artistic events.”

Working these days as a baker/chef at Langley Kitchen, Jenkins said she will take a gap year and have fun on projects such as the Create Space classroom mural, before pursuing a fine arts degree at Everett Community College next year.

“How lucky am I that I was raised here and get to enjoy it,” added Jenkins.

Alice Springs, meanwhile, is spending time in Langley with her mom Melissa, and toddler daughter.

“I’ve done many projects with my mom,” said Springs. “We were counting them—six public collaborations. She has always included me in her art projects. I would go with her and my dad in Europe. I went to art school and studied painting and drawing. Currently, I’m a jewelry designer and sell my work at Alma in Langley. I’m planning on going into interior design. My husband is Mexican. I spend a lot of time in Mexico City working on a lot of design projects. Every time I am here, I feel so inspired.”

Springs enjoys digital design. Inspired by previous work she did for a local artist and puppeteer’s website, Peggy Taylor invited Springs to redesign the Create Space logo and website.

“I’ve been learning different techniques for my designs digitally,” said Springs. “I can design logos and overall composition in the website. I had a conversation with Peggy and Jackie about their vision for the project. With a logo, it needs to be easy to understand at first glance. We narrowed the vision, using symbols and colors to talk about what Peggy and Jackie love. We came up with Create your inner spark. We went with that idea—finding your creativity and inner artist and healing.”

Before Create Space existed, Peggy Taylor worked for 25 years as co-founder of the Power of Hope: Youth Empowerment through the Arts, with the late Charlie Murphy. “We ran week-long camps for teens from diverse backgrounds and young adult volunteer mentors—many of whom were artists and activists,” recalled Taylor. “The camps were not art camps per se, but everyone participated in creative activities throughout the week: dance, song, visual arts, theater, and more. We found that when people live together in an arts-rich environment, they form strong bonds and experience a lot of joy and wellbeing.

“Soon after we started the camps, public school teacher Jackie Amatucci, joined us running what we called ‘the art barn,’ a space where people could participate in all kinds of arts and crafts. Jackie had a genius for helping the most timid young person take creative risks and find their inner artist,” added Taylor.

Taylor also co-directs the Open Circle Singers with musician/therapist Barbara Dunn. It is a popular non-audition community choir that rehearses at the Langley United Methodist Church and holds two concerts a year.

Taylor and Amatucci got inspired to start Create Space while walking by the new South Whidbey Community Center one Sunday afternoon in 2018. “We peeked in the windows and said, ‘why don’t we create an art barn for our community—a place where everyone can make art and feel that joy,” said Taylor. The next morning, they talked with Center Director Gail LaVassar and signed up for the last available space.   

“I invited three friends to join me in donating annually to pay the rent, and we were off and running.” Taylor added. She and Amatucci had an inkling that there were closets and garages full of unused art supplies. “We put out the word, and the space was full of art supplies in a month.”

Create Space really took off after the COVID pandemic shut things down. It was 2021.

“Island County had COVID money to give away to increase social services,” recalled Taylor. “Jackie and I believed seniors were really suffering from isolation and loneliness, and that making art could serve as an antidote. We received a grant for $20,000 for a program called Seniors Make Art.”

Taylor and Amatucci wanted to make their classes inexpensive because so many seniors live on fixed incomes and can’t afford art classes. They served as volunteer organizers and asked their retired artist friends and writers if they would be willing to teach on a semi-volunteer basis of $40 per hour of class time. “Every one of them said ‘yes’” recalled Taylor. “This allowed us to charge people just $40 for a four-week class.”

Every class sold out, which Taylor reports continues to be the case. The program supports itself, along with the help of some generous donors. “It floats along with a little help from our friends,” said Taylor. “People who sign up for classes. Teachers who contribute their talents. That’s how it goes. That’s how it flows. We have a policy if someone can’t pay the full fee, they pay what they can. Even if it’s nothing.”

Taylor said she looks forward to a new class this fall taught by master weaver Marcy Johnson, who once ran Weaving Works, a fiber arts supply store and weaving school in the University District. She has 12 looms in her home studio and will teach loom weaving through Create Space.

“If I had a wish, it’s that other communities would start their own Create Space,” said Taylor. “It could happen in a lot of places. It brings joy and well-being for teachers and participants alike.”

Melissa Koch estimates the Create Space mural will be completed by the end of August.

Create Space is located at 723 Camano Avenue in Langley. The website provides directions on how to find the building. With its new facade, it should be easier to spot. For more information, visit createspacelangley.org.