Business As Usual
A trip to The Fire
David Rubin
Issue date: 3/5/10 Section: Features
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and exploring a new city, San
Diego, when she stumbled upon
her passion. Haas and her sister
walked into an "interactive art studio,"
then one of the first of its
kind. They spent the day there
making art and catching up over
a cup of coffee. The moment was
unexpectedly powerful, a welcome
escape from the rush of everyday
life. Said Haas, "I fell in love with
the idea of art bringing people
together."
According to Haas, that
memory has stuck with her ever
since. Years later - after living
in California, Florida and Mexico,
returning to Appleton and starting
a family - Haas found herself
wanting a project, something in
which to channel her talent and
energies.
"I wanted to do something I
was passionate about," said Haas.
The memory of that day
in San Diego still lingered, and
Haas decided to recreate it back
home in Wisconsin. Haas opened
a studio, called The Fire, on
College Avenue between Massage
Connection and the now-defunct
Conkey's Bookstore, thereby bringing
an interactive art studio to
downtown Appleton.
An interactive art studio is
intended to make artistic activity
approachable and accessible
to everyone, from young school
kids to their tired parents, from
weary college students to random
passersby. The Fire welcomes all
of these customers and more. The
giant wall calendar on the east side
of the store confirms this fact: It
mentions school trips, Girl Scout
troops, birthday parties and bridal
showers.
Interestingly, The Fire doesn't
offer official classes of the intensive
six-week-workshop sort. No
appointments are necessary. Haas
aims to maintain an open, friendly
studio conducive to spur-of-themoment
visits. The bright logo and
colorful storefront windows seem
designed to welcome pedestrians.
Indeed, curious passersby with no
previous experience form an integral
part of The Fire's clientele.
The Fire offers four kinds of
artistic projects to its customers.
Visitors can fuse glass, paint pottery,
make mosaics - arranging
colorful tiles on wooden surfaces
like picture frames - or fashion
jewelry from "precious metal clay."
The studio itself is bright and
inviting, filled with lots of light
and plenty of quirky decorations.
A vintage General Electric refrigerator,
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