On Wednesday afternoon, the Artists of Marm ladies dressed up in their finest eccentric outfits and placed their artwork on tables and walls for a small art gallery. The showcase was held at the Common Ground Food Co-op in the Lincoln Square Mall for shoppers to stop by and smell the painted flowers.
The Artists of Marm consists of seven women, mostly retired, who get together almost every Sunday evening to create art together and support each other’s creative journeys. Meeting in Kathy Micek’s basement, they share stories over wine and paint brushes while giving each other new techniques to use in their pieces.
The name for the group comes from the woman who created it, Mary Ciaccio. Her nickname, given to her by her grandchildren, is Marm. Marm set up an art studio in her home for her and some friends to showcase work, and the Artists of Marm picked up steam from there. The group has adopted a new nickname these days from one artist’s husband: The Marmaladies.
Micek has been an Artist of Marm since the dawn of the group and spearheads the collective’s positive, supportive energy. While interviewing Micek, almost every person at the showcase came up to her for a small conversation and greeting. She proved to be very popular among both the artists and attendees, and she finds great joy in being able to meet with the other artists every week.
In need of some helpful energy, Micek started to host meetings in her home for the other ladies to join her and work on projects.
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“I had just lost my husband, and painting or doing any kind of art is kind of a solitary thing because you are often in your little space working by yourself,” Micek said. “But, I’m a collaborative person, so I thought, ‘I’m going to bring some good positive energy in.’”
The ladies were all eager to talk about their methods for creation and inspiration for the pieces showcased. Micek detailed how she writes emotional phrases on her canvases before she starts painting. In some of her work, slivers of words are peeking through the abstract paint.
Ann Pimblott, another artist showcased, noted how, although her wardrobe is composed of neutral colors, her artwork always turns out colorful and vibrant. She mused on how her art is a way of expressing herself that she can’t find anywhere else than in her work.
Pimblott has been involved in the group for around three years and found a gaggle of women in the Artists of Marm to be her friends after she moved to the Champaign-Urbana area. She finds herself with more free time after retirement and has been creating art more frequently, especially after finding a sense of community in the Artists of Marm.
“You always doubt yourself, but the people here are very encouraging,” Pimblott said. “Because of the encouragement, it kind of frees you up to try something different.”
The event was hosted by Common Ground for the ladies to show off their art made with homely love. The store showcases many different artists in the area as well. The art is usually tucked in a kitchen corner for shoppers to see after the checkout. Common Ground has a rotation of local artists that they present in the store, and the Artists of Marm will be up until Dec. 29.
“It’s really exciting to have a group of women collaborating together,” said Sarah Buckman, marketing manager for Common Ground. “It’s really sweet to see like-minded artists come together and have collective support. So, I’m all about it.”
Throughout their time in the collaborative art group, the artsy women have become friends more than collaborators. When Pimblott had COVID-19, Micek brought soup to her front porch. At Micek’s birthday party, she made many small art pieces for each of her guests to take home with them. The community became more than just women creating art and drinking wine together; the girls really look out for one another.
The Artists of Marm support any creative idea that the ladies have, and they have created a wholesome community for artwork to be made in tandem with happiness.
“It’s the best kind of energy,” Micek said. “It seeps out of the basement for the rest of the week, it’s awesome.”
