We’re at the Studios of Key West
Our co-founder Kat Ryals is spending February at the Studios of Key West for Arts Research.
The Peyton Evans Artist Residency (PEAR) program at the Studios of Key West is for emerging and established artists to encourage creative, intellectual and personal growth. The Studios was founded in 2006 with the initial inspiration of simply providing space for artists to live and work, thereby drawing creative people to our island and enriching the lives of all who live here.
What does Arts Research entail for our co-founder?
While in residence at the Studios of Key West, Kat will primarily be spending this focused time away on building out our annual programming, updating and re-organizing our members site, conducting marketing and data research, and doing strategic planning for PARADICE PALASE. Since this fall, she has been navigating new directions for our community and will be spending her residency time getting current plans in motion while also preparing for what’s next on the PARADICE horizon.
What is she currently working on?
Right now, Kat is focused on these items for 2025:
Planning local NYC events for our artist community including gallery tours, social mixers, one night pop ups
Organizing a core cohort of Happy Hour advisors available to our artists, plus additional short term industry guests
Booking online programming including topic-based presentations/discussions led by industry guests & virtual artist meet ups
Updating and streamlining the forums and spaces on our members site
Developing a new community sourced resource binder to add and browse things like artist services (framing, photographers, etc), useful apps (canva, artwork archive, etc), and a directory of projects spearheaded by our artists
Scheduling public social media programs led by Happy Hour guests such as virtual studio visits and topic based Q&A sessions
She’s also planting the seeds for these items right now, but they may not be available this year:
Offering extended goal-oriented/project based courses led by industry guests such as artists and curators
Creating exhibition partnerships with local/regional galleries
Hosting a conference-style day at partner organization with portfolio reviews, panel talks, and artist presentations
Organizing an annual fundraiser to offer a number of scholarships/fellowships to artists who are in need of financial support to participate in our programming
What else is she researching?
Kat is also combing through marketing data that will provide insight into creating new offerings that will be made for patrons/collectors, which will in turn support and feed our artist network. She’s also doing boring business stuff, like cleaning up our brand identity, marketing strategy, financial projections, and operational plan to create a new business plan. Snooze.
She’s also looking into non-profit management, fundraising, and alternative business entities like B-Corps, while also reading up on how to create an inclusive, community-centered, and anti-capitalist business that generates sustainable and eco-focused economies.
Kat hopes to have a vision plan to unveil at the end of the residency that plots out how we envision things to evolve over the coming years, always with the explicit welfare of the artist in mind. Stay tuned for more soon!