It’s been a year since artist Joanna Frye, her husband, Fred, and their three daughters — a 14-year-old and 10-year-old twins — moved from Ann Arbor to Tawas City. When the family first arrived, they lived along Lake Huron at Bayview Resort, a collection of several cabins and a main structure that had been turned into a single-family home. In mid-summer, they sold the resort and moved to a three-bedroom, single-family home that’s also on the shores of Lake Huron, in Tawas City. “It’s been used as a seasonal cottage, but we’re fixing it up as a year-round family home,” Frye says.
Besides finding a place to live, the couple also discovered a great space in downtown East Tawas where Joanna can create art and teach. The busy mom and full-time artist opened Sunrise Studio & Art Supply in downtown East Tawas this past spring.
At first, Frye rented just the second-floor area of the building. There, she had space to create art and provide classes. She and Fred turned what had been an accounting office with blue carpeting and dull walls into a bright, pretty spot. “We lifted the carpet and found wood floors. We sanded, sealed, and painted,” she says. A large window provides plenty of natural light.
Frye has since expanded downstairs, where she now has room to host larger workshops. She also added gallery space and displays a small selection of art supplies and kits that she sells to students and other customers. “Students and visitors can buy good-quality supplies — not super high-end, but quality, so they’re not frustrated using cheap supplies.”
Frye received an undergraduate degree in fine arts from Michigan State University; graphic design and printmaking were her areas of concentration. She eventually attended graduate school at MSU and focused on student affairs. “My first job was working at the University of Michigan in its arts engagement program,” she shares. Geared toward freshmen, the program encouraged students to get involved in the arts and culture available on campus and in the area.
A few years later, she embarked on a Ph.D. program in higher education at U-M. “It was a hard pivot away from art,” she recalls, “but it was important to me. I was the first in my family to attend college, and I was interested in how public universities are run and funded.” She then worked in the government affairs office at MSU, followed by a stint in the administrative offices at U-M. (If you’re wondering which team she roots for, it’s the Spartans!) Five years later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “My kids went remote for school for 18 months and our lives were crazy. Fred and I had to decide who was going to step back. I was the one, because I knew I could easily jump back in later.”
Eventually, that step back led the Fryes to the cabins at Bayview. The couple had visited Cedar Lake in Greenbush, just north of East Tawas, for years, because Fred’s family had a place on the lake. “We’d stay in Tawas, and that’s how we discovered Bayview,” Frye says. “We fell in love with the community and the beauty of the area.”
As they settled into their new town in northeast Michigan, Frye found that time away from work had inspired her to think about her true passion: art. It wasn’t long before her (color) wheels started turning, and her business was born.
“Printmaking and block-printing, in particular, dovetail so nicely with graphic design,” she says, “and I love it all.” The artist uses a mini-press for block-printing and making greeting cards, and uses a gel-plate printing technique (monoprinting) to create other works of art.
Frye teaches both gel-plate printing and block-printing, and she says both techniques are beginner-friendly. Those who want to carve their own image or pattern for pressing are welcome to give it a try, or students can simply apply paint to the plates Frye already has, add handmade masks (shapes like leaves or fish) or stencils, and press their paper onto the plate.
The artist explains that “printmaking” is an umbrella term that includes all kinds of printing; block-printing and gel-plate printing are two different types. In block-printing, you carve a design into the surface of a rubber or linoleum block. For those classes, Frye provides templates for carving and helps guide students who want to draw their own design. “Whatever you cut away is the white space,” she says. “Everything is in reverse when block-printing.”
In gel-plate printing, prints are made by applying paint to the gel plate, then creating textures and layers with found objects, stencils, and masks. The final product is a single print (a monotype). “This differs from block-printing, in which the carved block can be inked and printed again and again,” the artist says.
Frye, whose mother was a self-taught artist who was entranced by folk art and decorative arts, creates mostly nature-inspired works including plants, waves, water, and landscape motifs. “I love nature and that stems from growing up in Michigan, with the natural beauty around us. If I could pick any place to be, it would be outside in the woods or on the water.”
The artist can accommodate up to around 20 students per class and currently offers about two classes per week at the studio, which is located inside the Newman Street Marketplace. “I also teach private group classes, which are perfect for girls’ weekends and families,” she says. She also welcomes guest artists, who teach classes in a variety of mediums, to her studio. Her goal is to spread the joy of art in the region, whether students are local residents or visitors.
Frye’s studio is located just down the street from welcoming shops that range from chocolatiers to old-school grocery markets and a vintage five-and-dime store. The Lake Huron shoreline is just a quick walk from the shop, so students often make a whole day out of their art adventure. “We’re a place that’s hidden out of the way, where you can do something that you wouldn’t normally get a chance to do,” Frye says. “It’s not often you get an opportunity to take a block-printing class.” Most of her students want to improve each time, and she notes that people need creative opportunities.
During a recent visit, Frye was sharing gel-plate printing tips with attentive students. “Squirt the paint on your plate,” she told them, “and then layer some shapes over that and put paper over the top. Now, peel it off.” She helps students learn how to build up a background, adding more detail each time. “It’s a process-based art form; you never know what you’re going to get, and you discover as you go. That’s the cool thing about printmaking.”
MORE INFORMATION:
Sunrise Studio & Art Supply is at 211 Newman St., East Tawas. It’s open Thursday-Sunday. To find out about classes, visit sunriseartsupply.com.
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