Renton, WA— If you’ve ever walked past Esme & Elodie on your way somewhere else downtown, Wednesday night was a good reason to finally walk in.
The Renton Arts Commission hosted its monthly Art Lounge at the boutique on April 15th, and about a dozen residents gathered around tables covered in cardboard, denim, bleach, and paintbrushes to turn their old clothes into something new.
The activity was intentional. Emily Brooker, who owns Esme & Elodie, chose bleach dyeing because of how low the barrier to entry really is. “Anyone can do it because art needs to be accessible,” she said. She pointed out that bleach-stained clothes are practically a household rite of passage, and this gives people a reason to repurpose that accident instead of tossing it. All you need is water, bleach, and something to apply it with. Most households already have all three.
That spirit of accessibility runs through the whole Art Lounge concept. The monthly meetup is organized with the Renton Arts Commission and— here’s the part that makes it interesting— it doesn’t stay in one place. Every month, the lounge moves to a different studio, shop, or creative space around the city. The idea is two-fold: artists get to connect and network across Renton, and the Arts Commission gets to show up where different communities already are.
“Art is everywhere,” as Jessie Kotarski, a representative for the Renton Arts Commission, put it. The lounge is designed to prove just that.
The crowd Wednesday reflected that. Participants ranged from regulars to first-timers, and “artist” was used loosely on purpose. This isn’t just a gathering for people with business cards that say painter or sculptor. It’s for anyone who uses a creative outlet. One regular attendee said he comes because “it’s an adventure” and he wants more art in his life. Another participant put it even more directly: “Art energetically echoes; it goes into other areas of your life.” She also noted that too many activities are cost-prohibitive, and this one just isn’t.
As for the shop itself, Esme & Elodie has been a fixture in Renton for five years, and if you haven’t been inside, you’ve been missing out. The store is stocked with hilarious cards for every moment, iconic stickers and magnets, bath bombs, jewelry, and a clothing rack that’s hard to walk past without stopping. The owners are upfront that the store is sex-positive, and the whole vibe matches: bold, welcoming, a little bit unexpected.
That’s also kind of the point of rotating the Art Lounge through venues like this one. Several of Wednesday’s attendees, including this reporter, had never stepped foot inside before. Now we have.
Corrected April 16th: An earlier version of this article stated that Kotarski was an arts commissioner. The article has been revised to reflect the position as a representative of the Arts Commission.
Want to bring the Art Lounge to your space or host an art activity? Artists can host themselves or be matched with a venue. The lounge is booked through July, but you can get on their radar now by reaching out to the Arts Commission at arts@rentonwa.gov.
Visit RentonWA.gov/RMAC or follow the Arts Commission on Facebook to find the next art lounge opportunity.
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Art Lounge at Esme & Elodie, Photo Gallery by Renton Signal
