In an airy open studio in Waunakee, Kaitlin Walsh, the “CEO” behind Lyon Road Art, and Emilie Steinmann, academy manager and “genius of creativity” according to Kaitlin, are busy creating a space for the art curious of all ages to enjoy.
Kaitlin comes from a family full of medical professionals, and her art still pays homage to her medical roots. After earning a graduate degree in medical illustration, Lyon Road started as a way for Kaitlin to share her paintings of the “pretty, not gross” parts of anatomy with the world. With a husband in the military and frequent moves, the solo life of a painter had its advantages. But when they decided to settle in Waunakee, just focusing on her own work felt lonely.
“I knew I wanted to have a studio, and I thought I’d try teaching, in order to interact with the community and help other people find the same joy in art that I've had. I’m shocked by how much I enjoy teaching. It's become such a necessity because I love my students so much and I love the joy I see in them.”
Kaitlin and Emilie met while working on a mural project in Waunakee. Right away, they knew they wanted to work together more.
“I reached out and said, let's find some way to work together, and it evolved into I can help you", says Emilie, who brings her own creative background to Lyon Road as the academy manager.
“I've always been a creative spirit. Everybody in my family has some sort of creative passion, whether it be quilting or woodworking or stained glass or something. Here, I get to expand upon all of my creative endeavors and share them with the students.”
Kaitlin and Emilie work to have Lyon Road Art Academy serve the community in the full sense of the word.
“When we're coming up with our schedules, we think, what do our current students want? Where are their strengths? What do they want to get better at? For example, we know some kids who are into gaming and fantasy worlds so we're offering a fantasy maps drawing course to give them an opportunity to have another creative outlet” says Emilie.
The academy offers four-week courses, workshops, open studio hours “Maker's Space”, and monthly movie nights. The goal is to have many avenues for the community to access creativity, and enjoy the benefits that a regular art practice can have on mental health.
“I can't believe how much this relieves my stress. It's not that you're not stressed when you're painting, it's that you're so focused on your painting that it pushes out the other stress in your life” says Kaitlin.
From the start, Lyon Road was about more than the fine arts. For Kaitlin, the connections forged within these walls are the studio’s greatest success.
“I love when the studio starts to feel like a community, and the kids who didn't know each other start to interact and hang out, helping one another on their projects. It makes me almost want to cry,” says Kaitlin.
“The kids are becoming their own squad. We did this, we made this happen” says Emilie.