Access Arts/School of Service

Access Arts

School of Service began in 1971, and has grown steadily since, evolving into the Access Arts program of today. Their mission is to provide creative learning experiences for everyone. They offer instruction in a variety of art media, with an emphasis on serving those who are underserved.

At Access Arts, the Artist-in-residence program is intended to be a mutually-beneficial arrangement where artists have the chance to explore their craft, and the students have access to a working artist. For artists who have received advanced training and education, they provide time, space and facilities for a more focused studio practice. The artist has the opportunity to develop their work, access to a built-in audience, and a chance to strengthen their demonstration and teaching skills. In return, artists are expected to teach classes, help represent Access Arts in the community, and to be available to assist the program in other ways. Specific responsibilities will depend on the individual and which program they participate in. Residencies are available in most of the programs offered by Access Arts, but particularly in Ceramics and Fibers, the two largest programs.

The residence area provided for the Ceramics Master resident is a cozy two‐room apartment within the studio rental building. It has a private entrance off of a small sheltered yard with mature trees surrounding. The yard would be perfect for gardening, grilling, creating art, or just relaxing/reading in the open air. There’s a large bedroom/study, and an even larger kitchen/work area with a sink, counters, and storage areas. A small refrigerator and microwave are provided. South‐facing windows provide moderate natural light in addition to overhead fixtures.

• Access Arts hosts two spacious, well‐lit Ceramics studios on its campus. One is a large, active class studio, complete with adjacent glaze room and kiln room. In the classroom, there are typically 10 electric wheels available for use, as well as a large wedging table, slab roller, and multiple table surfaces for handbuilding work. There is an abundance of shelf space for storing finished pieces and/or greenware waiting to be fired. The glaze room is stocked with various compounds used in preparing glazes, and has a well‐ventilated spray booth and large work table. The second studio is a smaller, more private work area. It contains five electric wheels, one kick wheel, a slab roller, and two electric kilns. There is also an area to do glaze work and room to store work in progress and finished pieces. Both studios have a lot of windows that provide natural light year‐round.
• Access Arts also hosts spacious, well-lit Fibers studios on its campus with more than 60 looms, including floor looms (4-shaft, 6-shaft, and 8-shaft), table looms, inkle looms, and rigid heddle looms. We also have sewing machines, drafting tables, light boxes, and a variety of tools suitable for fabric arts. There is also a studio suitable for paper arts, with sinks, drying racks, screens, and large table spaces.The smaller studios provide space for quiet reflection and individual focus.
• Two Private Studios are also available.

The campus is in a quiet, pleasant neighborhood, convenient to parks, multiple stores and businesses, and about a mile from downtown Columbia, the University of Missouri, Columbia College and Stephens College. There is plenty of free parking, and the city bus stops across the street.