‘We are a big community’: Hot Shops open house supports local artist, education
By Kalé Searcy
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OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — A bright, fiery oven burning hot with molten glass is the starting point for artist Matthew Shrader.
“Being an artist and doing this is my full-time job is exciting and exhausting and rewarding. And all those things. So being able to do what I love is pretty amazing to be able to do that every day,” Shrader said.
For 19 years, Shrader’s been a glass blower, spending many of those years using art to educate the community.
“It’s really important to offer that education because that’s, I mean, that’s how I started. I got to see the process. I got excited about it. I took a class, and that’s kind of the path that I took to get here,” he said.
Now, he sells his creations and works out of a studio in Hot Shops Art Center, one of the 90 local artists featured in this year’s winter open house. Exposing people to new experiences and unique.
“My work always focuses on things that are going on in my life at a particular time and always focused on self-love and positivity. I’ve suffered with depression, anxiety, and so art has been a real escape for me,” said Rowena Bennett.
From children’s books, graphic tees to acrylic painting, Bennett does everything by hand.
Fueled by the community’s support and her passion for the arts.
“I run two different businesses that are connected to different businesses out of this shop. Queerarchy, which is a queer-focused specialty shop. And I make everything right here in the studio,” she said.
Having thousands of people filter in and out of the building not only increases exposure for the makers but helps continue Hot Shops mission.
“A lot of us artists here we are a big community,” Bennett said.
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