Rob Lee: Music Welcome back to the Truth in this Art. These are conversations connecting arts, culture and community. These are stories that matter and I am your host, Rob Lee. And today, my guest is an artist and educator dedicated to creating moments of joy, connection and learning through the arts.
A Baltimore native, she's worked as a teaching artist and an arts integration specialist, always finding ways to bring creativity into everyday life, such as her current project, Meander Art Bar, where she's bringing her vision for community art space to life. Please welcome to the program, Martha Robichaux. So thank you for being here today, Martha, for starters. Before we saunter over in Meander for a while, yeah, I feel good about that. Could you introduce yourself and share something that has inspired you recently?
Martha Robichaud: My name is Martha Robichaux and I am the owner of Meander Art Bar. And something that's been inspiring me lately, I've been taking a songwriting class with Adrian Lanker, who is the lead singer of this band, Big Thief, that I just love. And it's just been really beautiful. I would never say that I'm a songwriter, so it's a stretch for me, like artistically, to put my, it's a little uncomfortable, but I kind of love that. And I mean, she's just an incredible artist.
So hearing her talk about her form is just really beautiful and inspiring and something that I've been applying to like every aspect of my life, even if I'm not writing the world's best next album.
Rob Lee: That's good. It's good. And thank you for that, that piece of inspiration. It's good. Like when you're stretching the boundaries and trying something new, it, you know, kind of connects, I think, to maybe some of the creative stuff or even the day-to-day stuff that we're engaged in our mind is firing differently.
Yeah. So if you will, could you tell us what your relationship and connection is with sort of creativity? Because arts, culture, and community is sort of the theme of this podcast. So give us, give us the, you know, the sort of background there, please. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: So I mean, I grew up like deeply entrenched in the creative community. I'm from Baltimore City. I'm very proud to be from Baltimore City. My mother moved here before it was born because she got a job playing French horn in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. And she was the first woman to be, to be in the French horn section in the BSO. And so I grew up in, you know, I grew up kind of backstage at the BSO.
I would like run around back there and was very much like, it was just a big part of my childhood. There's a family joke that I knew how to identify Beethoven's knights before I knew how to use like an ironing board. So it's just very much part of, part of who I was growing up. My father was a scientist and I feel like we'll come back to that later because it kind of has formed who I am now. But yeah, I started out exploring a bunch of different art forms, music and dance and theater were really where I found my home. I was an aquire for many years growing up that I just loved.
And I'm actually an aquire now too that I will be so happy to talk about later because it's very special. And I ended up sort of focusing on theater. So I went to Baltimore School for the Arts and I did theater there and I just absolutely loved it. It's an amazing school.
So cool that we have that in our city. And then I studied acting and writing for my undergraduate degree. And then my master's degree was in interdisciplinary arts infusion from Towson University, which is kind of like this applied arts program, like asking how, how can we integrate the arts into our everyday living? How can the arts improve health? How can the arts help us improve education?
How can the arts help us live more joyfully? And so that, you know, that started me on this track of like really seeking out more opportunities to do work like that. I was doing a lot of teaching artists work all over the DMV for years, which was amazing. And I also worked as a standardized patient. So that is an actor who portrays patients in medical education scenarios. And that's my job at Hopkins. I work at the Hopkins School of Nursing also. I now am like the manager of the standardized patient program there. So that's how I ended up doing that. But yeah, I have been a part of the DIY like creative, weird, fringy like theater and dance and music community in Baltimore for a very long time.
Rob Lee: Thank you. That's great. I was here in these different connections and these different sort of overlaps that I have. And sort of, you know, pieces of my background. And I find like, when I talk to folks who is like, I do this, but I also do this.
And I was here for a while and I did this. And it's like making a lane and then having a lane and then it's this other really deep background that is kind of dissimilar, like you said, science. And it's so many things that kind of come together.
And, you know, I say it all the time. Like I've been a podcaster for 16 years. But initially I was doing illustrations and I'm a data analyst like day to day. So I tell folks that and I see where they connect and where they overlap and where they serve each other. It's like, make sense to me, you know, and totally do so much, so much with it having sort of a diverse palette and set of interests.
Martha Robichaud: Yeah, I think people hold multitudes, right? And like, me at least personally, I've always been more of like a jack of all trades than like, I don't have the ability to hyper focus on anything too much because I am truly so fascinated by the world and by the experience of living that I just want to like eat it all up.
Speaker 3: I can't decide. I want to do it all.
Rob Lee: It's like the the variety pack of Othel for like experiences.
Martha Robichaud: Yes. Yes, I would, I mean, honestly, I would never pick the like one flavor. Like I will always get the variety pack. What I don't understand why you wouldn't.
Rob Lee: But the first one, and the first one you throw away is like original. I don't want that one.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Rob Lee: So I want to I want to go back to one of the things you said in your introduction, you were talking about the Ander Art Bar. So and I did my pun, I love puns. So it's just I do the things.
I'm not a dad, but everything is a dad joke for me. So I've had a relationship as I shared with you a little bit before we got started, you know, with the art with the art bar, what the space was and when it was initially bar 1801. And then sort of even when it was something before that, it was a juice bar before that, you know, and I used to pop over there pretty regularly in the eight years I've lived in this neighborhood, right. And I love the the concept of really following the concept. But if you could share sort of that initial conversation thought or experience that led to where we're at now with me and or our bar. Yeah.
Speaker 3: So first of all, it is it's just a really cool space, like for anyone who hasn't been in there, it has these very cool, like hexagonal windows and like this, this neat, like live edge bar, it's just it's a very cool space that has been a lot of different things over the years. But it's sort of always been well loved. So I was also a regular at bar 1801.
I absolutely love bar 1801. I live about three blocks away. So, you know, I was walking over there all the time.
Yeah. So that is how initially we met by via me and me and my husband, Mike. We met Matt.
Mike had met Matt before when Matt was doing like the secret sauce company. Because my my husband, Michael is also he owns no land beyond the board game bar. So lots of Baltimore connections. But anyway, we connected with Matt and Vaughn, who were the two owners of bar 1801. And we just became fast friends. And we were there all the time. And we were sad when when they lost the space. And then it was a couple of things in between. And we had a connection with the person who who holds the liquor license there.
And by we had a connection, I mean, like, we knew her, she had a connection with Matt. She was looking to sell this past summer, she just didn't want, you know, didn't want the hassle of running it anymore. It's a lot to run a business. So she wanted to sell the liquor license there. And she approached me and Mike, and because we were at the time looking for a spot for for this concept. And it kind of just all coalesced in that beautiful way that sometimes life just like hands you a thing. And you're like, Oh, okay, well, I guess, I mean, I don't know why I wouldn't do this. Seems right.
Yeah, so that's really how it happened. I have this concept. I was shopping around for spaces to put it in. I was initially looking in station door, actually.
And none of those spaces were were quite right for this. And then this kind of, you know, was put on the table in front of me. And it was really perfect. And so, yeah, we said yes. And I'm so happy to get to contribute to something that's in my neighborhood, like it's it's awesome.
Rob Lee: That's great. I mean, again, you know, I've had many a good times there through. And I feel like it's just good energy in sort of that space as you touched on well loved. And, you know, I think when coming together with the concept and sometimes the the stars align.
And yeah. But where does the concept for an art bar come from? Because I have no knowledge of it. I'm like, yeah, like art, I like bars. I'm being a little dry right now doing the lint thing, right, I guess. But but where does that that idea come from? Because I've been playing with the concept of third spaces and third places and community and all. But give us sort of a bit of your your insight and that area.
Martha Robichaud: Yeah, so I think my friends always joke that like, I'm, I'm the like community organizer within our friend group, right? Like, that's me. That's who I've always been. I love getting people together. I love creating space for people. I put on a lot of events over the years.
And I love doing that. And I genuinely think it's important to connect in these ways and to make time to connect in these ways and to make space to just have fun together, like truly joy as an act of rebellion, especially right now. So I have this idea of starting a community art space because of wedging these two ideas together of like, holding events and having space and having joy and then wanting people to just be able to get their hands dirty with some art materials and just make and do it in a way that where there was no pressure. There are other there's look, there are other maker spaces in the city and across them. But there wasn't anything that I found that sort of straddled that line of like giving some structure so that people felt like if they were brand new, they could still make something that that felt good. And also not having like so much structure that you felt like you had to, you know, sign up for a class series or like become a member or that kind of thing. So just kind of this in between space.
And initially, this concept did not have a liquor license. This is I was writing up a mocktail menu. It was going to be a cute mocktail spot. But yeah, I didn't think that I would have a liquor license. So when I did end up getting a space that had a liquor license time to it, it was just so perfect. That is that's when I brought in Mike and Matt, my two business partners, because they have the background in bars. Like, I don't I personally love going to bars, but I wouldn't know how to run one on my own. Yeah, it's been just an incredible collaboration to like get them in on it.
But I also think that it's really fun to like, be able to come out and have a casual cocktail while also hanging out and doing some watercolor painting. Like, I honestly, it ended up being something bigger than I initially imagined it. And it's so beautiful.
Rob Lee: Yeah, that's that's really, that's really great. And, you know, it's the thing that my partner talks about. She's like, I hate organized fun. And sort of having this, the structure that maybe there's some sort of like, hey, we're doing this, but also it's a a freeness that's there that leads to at least it could potentially lead to sort of discourse, collaborations, new connections. And I think even this this this notion that, you know, we see different, you know, stats and data that talk about how folks aren't going out anymore. So having something that is unique and interesting that maybe provides another avenue for folks to go out, you touched on mocktails, right. And the beginning of this season, the run it back season, I interviewed D Watkins, and he talked about this beard award winning piece he wrote about about sobriety, and, you know, sort of, you know, mocktails and this and consideration less people from I think, Gen Z, I suppose, are drinking less.
So that's not the hook that it used to be for certain folks. So having something that is a bit different to Laura and bring one in, you know, I think of places that I go regularly. I, you know, aside from the linting of it all, you know, I enjoy a cocktail, I may have had a cocktail or two named after me. But I go to different places that have something that's an additional hook, like I drink a lot of coffee, right. And I will pop over to dreamers and make believers for sake of argument over there in Highlandtown, because it's like, hey, I want to book and oh, I could just hang out and oh, they're doing something great.
I'll hang over here and talk with the folks or even go to Patterson Pins and have the whole arcade experience and kind of checking these sort of different places out that have things that are kind of a hook, but not necessarily a hook for everyone, but something that says an additional hook that's a whole different audience. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: Yeah, I'm honestly not a big drinker, actually. Really, like the, okay, the true like origin of this concept was that me and some friends would get together on like a Saturday afternoon and we would bring whatever thing we were crafting or arching. We would just go to a bar or a restaurant and we would like hang out and make some art together. And it was really lovely, but it also always felt kind of awkward because obviously we were the only ones doing that there.
And you know, there's that pressure to be like, oh, I guess I got to buy another drink. It's so good to be here, which is very fair. But yeah, that's like, I was like, what, what if that space just existed, like where that was encouraged and you could bring your own stuff or they had stuff for you.
That's really where it started. And I honestly, I'm probably a terrible business person. Or maybe this makes me a good business person. I don't know, but I hate thinking about money.
I don't care about that part truly. Like I need to be sustainable, of course, otherwise we can't do the thing. But beyond that, like, I just really believe that this should exist. And it's been bringing me so much joy to watch people come into this space and sort of fulfill this vision that I had of people just exploring together in a really casual way and like being creative. And it honestly brought me to tears watching the room filled with people making art and making new friends. And just like that warm verbal when you can tell that people are like chatting happily, you know, and we were joking that it's St. Patrick's Day today.
And this weekend has been like a little slower than usual. And we were like, Oh, well, that's just because we're not that far. We are not the bar where you go to like take a shot. I mean, you can. But we're the bar where you go to have like a quiet, chill, bubbly conversation with someone that you adore, you know, and make something new.
Rob Lee: And I think it really fills the need that over the last few years in conjunction with, you know, sandwiched within those years, sort of the political climate, I suppose. And just, just folks aren't really communicating this sort of the thing I will attach to it for whatever reason, not really communicating. So having a space to do that to be able to under something else be united, whether it's, Hey, I like watercolors, man, I like clay, you like charcoal drawings and be able to do all of those.
You like Legos all under one like roof. You know, I may have lifted that from an interview. But those are options that guests can pick from as far as activities at the end. And, you know, I think that that serves as what maybe that social lubricant used to be, you know, and, and it's, it's odd. Like I, I'll say like, in doing this, this podcast for the five years and over 800 episodes at this point, and being out there as a public figure, I, conversation is still weird. And it's like, I'm able to do this and connect in that way. And it's like, Oh, you should be really good at this. I was like, I am not the most social person out there in that scene, but one to one, I'm really good in a sort of chill setting like meander is. It's like, I can chat it up. I mean, and it's something about that that setting fits and that setting works. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: Yeah. I mean, first of all, this is actually a concept in art therapy. This idea that like, having an art or an art or craft or like something that you're doing with your hands, while you're talking can really help like free up your mind. It can help you feel safer. It can also create new neural pathways. And so it's like, it's literally very good for you.
And it is also, yes, it's very good for social interactions. We had this amazing artist come through his name is Scott Braun. And he did this workshop that he's taken all over the country.
It's called the decency project. And he has participants carve wooden spoons. And while you are carving the wooden spoon, he facilitates a conversation that centers on the question, what is decency? What does it mean to be decent?
You know, what does it mean to be a member of community? And it was, it was really cool because we had this activity that we were all doing. And I really think that because we were all doing that, we were able to just sort of open up to each other and are like, yeah, and our like brains were firing and Yeah, so it almost sounds like woo-woo, but it's actually, again, I am half science. And there is science to back this. It's very cool.
Rob Lee: It is very cool. And I feel it. And it's one of those spaces, like I said, me and the family. That's the thing. I'll check out a place. I'm kind of the cowboy in my circle of friends and my family. I'm the person that's going to go there and check out the place. Because I'm into some weird stuff sometimes, right?
And so like, let me vet this first. And I think based off the strength of sort of in the reputation of the folks involved. And then I, you know, I heard about you a little bit the last time I was there chatting with Matt because Matt had been on early when like North Ave. market was popping. And so I was like, all right, got a circle back.
And but definitely took the family there. And just we all have some sort of connection to arts and creativity, but just kind of being there in the space. And it's like, I am looking forward to this. I'm looking forward to what this is going to be.
And at the time we were there, it was before sort of the transition fully into the end or in hearing like, you know, sort of the thinking that goes into it, the cure that's gone into it. I'm excited to just plan my next trip. I'm about to say that much.
Martha Robichaud: And I will say, like we had, we have sponsored before me, we meandered, right? Because we're, what we're doing isn't really a thing. So it's really uncharted territory. And there was a lot of experimenting and like, yeah, just a lot of thought had to go into the curation of this experience.
Like, how do we do this in a way that is enjoyable and also practical? And so, yeah, it just, it kind of took a while to coalesce because there was just so much to think through. And we really, when we launched the full concept, we wanted to do it right. You know, we didn't want to do a thing that felt half baked. We wanted it to be as fully baked as something that's brand new can be.
Rob Lee: I hear you. And that's actually a good segue. So you're, I tossed up the softball and you hit it out of the park when it comes to sort of, you know, the challenges like that, that come to mind, like, you know, being very careful, being very careful and being very intentional, people would say, as it comes to building out an idea that is in a concept that is somewhat uncharted and sort of new. And it's like, what is this?
How does this come together? And, you know, I love one of the things you touched on earlier of like, might be a bad business person, not really even thinking about money. And it's sort of this thing that I relate to and doing this, you know, folks will say, why aren't you monetizing it? I was like, it's good to have the conversations.
I like to be independent. And I think it's a thing that's good for the community, but it may not be an economic driver. So with that in mind, like, if there are a lesson that comes to mind and so to the building out of from Saunter to meander and where you're at.
Martha Robichaud: It's definitely been an iterative process, right? The concept, what I wrote on in a Word document, you know, a year ago, looks really different in action now. And that's OK. I don't think I could have possibly predicted some of the, like, obstacles that I would have faced. So, you know, if you're if you're thinking about starting something and it just feels too big, I think, like, advice wise, I'd be like, just start somewhere because you won't be able, you won't think through everything. You won't. And you'll just have to figure out things as you go.
I mean, even now, I continue to make adjustments to how we're doing things. I was able to pull inspiration from other community art centers that exist in the country, like there's some very cool ones in there's a very cool place in New York City called Happy Medium. There's also a place called the Drawing Room. There's a place in North Carolina called Davill Art Bar. And all of these places served as models.
They don't none of them have a bar component, but all of them are like these community art spaces where the idea is that you can come in and you can create in a way that's very low pressure. So, you know, I use my role models as I could. And I also call back to my years of teaching experience. So I know I'm working with adults and not children anymore, but I still need to think through, yeah, that that line of how do we curate so that people feel free to explore and people feel supported enough to explore? I think what we've ended up doing really is just having a wide spectrum of things available. So like you can do an art kit and that's sort of in the middle because we do have some instructions that are totally optional if you want them. But we also have classes that are fully guided if that's what you want. Or you can come in, like I said, and you can bring your own project and have absolutely no guidance. So, yeah, just trying to create this space that exists for everyone and put a lot of being kind to myself and being patient and allowing myself to to like fall upwards in this process. I just couldn't possibly have known how it all would look in action a year ago when I put it on paper. And that's OK.
Rob Lee: Absolutely. And thank you for sharing that because, you know, I think of, you know, I love these sort of you do your own self-pay sort of thing. It's just like, you know, and it's I think it's important at least the way I take it.
And I think this may go back to the woo woo or the science of it. Of driving that a creative practice, like, you know, one of the things I always find challenging is coming up with questions, trying to be insightful, trying not to try to be insightful as far as what I'm interested in, but also having some degree of clarity that it's not like too introspective. It's like, all right, what are we talking about? And I find that if I'm in a place that has sort of a creative spirit around it, my questions are that much more insightful.
Like I am getting something. I'm picking up something, maybe the energy that's floating around and seeing folks create when I would go up there to Philadelphia. I was going to a place called Wreckfilly, like every two weeks to do interviews and studio there, but also just a huge creative hub of disciplines, right? And I would just sit out there and just post up for an hour or two after I'm done with my interviews, just to kind of like ear hustle and eavesdrop on what's happening. And I was like, that's a really good insight. And I would come up with questions and I find like being in a space like me and or is kind of, I think drives that, that as well. Come there with my notepad or laptop feels a little weird, but come with my notepad and it's like, let me, let me capture this.
Let me capture this at its rawest format, just to see what I'm thinking and how being in a sort of dipped in a creative environment, you know, kind of aids in that.
Martha Robichaud: Yeah, we have several different like meetups groups at this point. And it's really neat to see them come in because you do see people forming new connections and getting inspired from by each other and learning from each other. So I'm just thinking about a recent one that we did that's called the Stitch Club and it's a fiber arts club. And we're using the word club really loosely because you don't have to like join.
You can just show up. But people brought a whole spectrum of fiber arts and they were, you know, people were walking around and being like, oh, what are you making? And like, oh, have you tried this or like, what do you do when you drop a stitch? You know, that kind of thing. And this was this cracks me up.
I love this so much. There were medical students there who were clearly they were doing surgery. They were studying surgery. They had little like skin models and they were practicing suturing. Wow. I just thought that was so funny because I was like, yeah, I mean, that is stitching.
Rob Lee: Correct. That's that's really cool. Break bringing together the community. I love it. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: But I love that they came to that event to hang out with other creative people and they were like, this is my creative practice. Like, really?
Rob Lee: So this is a little bit of a divergence from but it touches on this idea of community and sort of audience, right? And, you know, we're, we're all part of this social media thing. And I think when we're building out something, it's one of our means to market means to promote means to communicate. And I find that especially online and in some applications offline, the words audience and the words community are conflated. And I think, I think there are different meanings there depends on who the person is that's saying it.
Where do they intersect and where did they diverge or what have you as far as building on, I think more community was with me and or where did they intersect and where they diverge those, those two terms?
Martha Robichaud: Honestly, again, probably being a terrible business person. TM. Right. I don't think I've ever thought about it really in terms of my audience. I truly have been very centered on the idea of community. And when I post online, which I do because yes, I have to, you know, I really do it with the thought of like, I am broadcasting this information to a community of people.
And the audience has been growing from there. So I really, I'm not trying to like sell people on a thing. So much is just creating a thing that I think is cool and hoping other people feel the same way. And so far that's been working.
Rob Lee: It's important to see that and make that sort of distinction because, you know, I don't get on the, I don't get on the live. What's going on chat? I can't. Okay. I can't do it.
And I'm doing this. And, you know, it's for me, it's the authenticity thing, like where I can't have like sort of a fake conversation that fits into this timeline and this very packaged sort of, no, I want to have the thing that feels DIY, that feels imperfect, that feels Baltimore. I'm from here, you know? And so, so, so that. Brings me to that question and I know you've touched on it, but if you you want to reiterate sort of that DIY spirit, you have those ties to it as we touched on before we got started, maybe a little bit earlier, but specifically, you know, the, with the creative class here in Baltimore, because we're not business people, we do something as around, you know, data and science. Yeah. How does that DIY presence like show up in your work and how you approach your work and how you're sort of like navigating and I, and again, I love just giving yourself that time and that, that care and that kindness that's been there. Because that's very important. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: So one of my favorite things about Baltimore City is the creative community here. And I always tell people who aren't from here. I'm like, here's the thing. You have any crazy idea in Baltimore. You are like, I would like to, okay, literally I did this one. I would like to throw a circus in a park and 20 people are like, yeah, let's do it.
Oh yeah. That, that to me is what makes Baltimore an incredible place to live as a creative. Um, the DIY community here is just like off the charts, bananas, amazing.
People are so down. Um, and I have absolutely loved getting to create another space for artists in the city. So I am working with local artists who are coming in as teachers, who are coming in as facilitators for workshops. All of the art that is up on our walls is from people who are Maryland, if not Baltimore City. Um, I mean, yeah, everything about even like literally building out this space was a, like my friends coming in and helping me paint because nobody involved in this project is a millionaire.
We all came into this just being like, really want to make this happen. And then guess I'm spending the next 20 hours painting the ceiling, you know? Um, and that's, that's really what I love about it. I, I think, and I hope that you can feel that when you walk into this space, that it really was done with love, but down to the mural on our wall was painted by a local artist. I mean, every piece of it really has been done by the local Baltimore community. And that my plan is to always continue that, to continue partnering with all of these amazing people here. Um, I don't feel a need to like outsource people because we have all these people here who are so eager to teach and I, and share and like skill share and, and create community. And it's, uh, I just, I just love, I love Baltimore's DIY community deeply. So I mean, that's, that's a great question.
Rob Lee: That's a great answer. And, um, I think that actually kind of keys in on those, that, that last question that I had, so you knocked that out. So shout out to you. Like I said, when I let the guest cook, right? You know, I kind of get like multiple things knocked out and makes my job easier. Makes me look like I'm more talented than I actually am.
Martha Robichaud: Well, you asked a question that I have strong feelings about in a good way.
Rob Lee: So with that, there's two things that I can do now. Actually, I can move into the rapid fire portion. Um, I got three of them for you and, um, they're very quick questions, you know, the quick answers as well. And, um, you know, so the first one goes this way. Um, you know, you have the, the theater background. So I'll come up a few times in your background. So I got two, two theater related questions, uh, to start off. What was your favorite production that you were involved in? Sorry. Your face did the thing.
Martha Robichaud: I mean, there are definitely some that stick out in my mind, but it feels a little like choosing a favorite child because each of them like holds a very special place in my heart.
Um, I think one that was really pivotal for me as an artist was a show that I did with a theater company. They still exist. They're amazing. Check them out. They are called sub immersive productions.
Um, and they do immersive theater, uh, which is like, you know, you are, you are in and sort of part of the production. Um, if anyone has heard of sleep no more in the plate in New York city for a very long time, this is all a sleep no more. But years ago we did a show called the mesmeric revelations of Edgar Allen Poe and they got, we got access to the row home that Edgar Allen Poe lived in when he was in Baltimore, which the Maryland Historical Society owns.
And it was just kind of sitting and rotting. And, uh, we were able to use it and put in this like really wild site specific performance in there. Um, and that was just really eyeopening. That was, uh, I was in my early twenties and that was one of those moments where I was like, Oh, like, I didn't know that this is what theater could be. Um, and after that, I just got weirder and weirder.
Speaker 3: That's great. That's great. I love what it gets weirder and weirder.
Rob Lee: Uh, no, no, this one I think is even, uh, more, more odd. Uh, what is, and I've gone to a few places. I've tried and, and you know, enjoy the theater, enjoy productions more and more. I feel that there are certain pairings that go together with the nature of, you know, meander and all I must ask,
Speaker 3: what is a good cocktail at that? That it goes well with theater.
Rob Lee: And, uh, you know, just generally, it'd be a general production. You'd be like, you know, just something, a classic or something, something that you, you've, you've seen many productions of, but what is like, you know what? An old fashioned work go really well with Doll and for murder, for sake of argument.
Speaker 3: Mm hmm.
Rob Lee: Oh, that's a odd question, but I, I think it's, uh, you know, it's an insightful one. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: Um, I'm trying to think of a good pairing for a dirty martini. Just I love a dirty martini and she's so classic. Um, so I feel like, I feel like you'd have to go classic, but also it's a little bit of a twist. Like I feel like you could put a dirty martini with like an Ibsen play and have a really lovely time.
Rob Lee: You got it. You got it. I was, I was looking at, um, different iterations of martinis yesterday and I was like, yeah, I'm going to go extra filthy. I'm partnering. She's like, what are you talking about? Because blue cheese involved. She's like, all right, cool. We got it.
Martha Robichaud: Oh, you know what? A blue cheese dirty martini with a pinter play. Now that is, you are going to have a wild drunk conversation after that show. It's great.
Rob Lee: It's great. So going back to one of the things touched on earlier, and this is sort of the closing things out here. So, you know, with the multitude of things that, that guests can do at meander and enjoy and explore and so on. Um, I keep seeing the activities, the charcoal drawn watercolors, air dry clay and even, even Legos.
Right. So, you know, what was of those, what was your like favorite activity as a young person? What were you engaged? I was a Lego kid and I painted with watercolors as well. That was a Lego kid. Yeah.
Martha Robichaud: I actually think this is kind of important to say to people because a lot of folks, even with all that we're doing to make it not intimidating are like, not an artist. We'll know how to make art. Okay. Listen, my medium is not visual art.
Okay. I am a dancer. I am a performer.
I'm a singer. But like, as an, as a child, I mean, I loved playing with all of the different arts. Like, I loved really tactile things.
So I always liked things that felt like clay or like Play-Doh because I just loved the sensation of that. But none of them, if you were like Martha, you know, draw me a masterpiece, honey, it's going to be six figures. Like, truly, truly, I'm not, I'm, I am not at home in the visual medium. But I think that that's important to say because I still think it's important to have and to do. And I literally come to meander or go anywhere, make a piece of art and throw it away.
It doesn't matter. Just the process of getting creative and asking your brain to fire off in that different way is going to be so good for you. Like, not just in terms of, you know, neuroplasticity and all of the like nerdy, like learning stuff, but also literally, it'll just make you happier. I promise, I promise that if you come make something, you will feel good. That's great.
Rob Lee: And it's this thing I saw recently. It's like the product maybe is for the audience, the patrons will have you, but the process, the making of it is for you. And that's, that's all. Totally.
Martha Robichaud: And, you know, I was, okay, so my husband is a, he's a singer-songwriter. Um, I asked him the other day, I said, have you ever honestly thought about your audience when you wrote a song? He said, no. And I said, yeah. Same.
Like in the sense that you want to think about how an event is going to go. Sure. But the actual art, that's for you. And it's amazing if it resonates with other people too. But the only way it'll feel authentic and real and the only way that it will be something that resonates with other people is if it. Resonates with you or if it feels good to you.
So I've always held that that's the most important part about being creative. It's not for other people. It's not about other people. It's really not. It's a gift to yourself. Right.
Rob Lee: That's the mic drop portion right there. So, uh, so there's two things we want to do here. One, um, I want to thank you so much for coming on and spending some time with me and, um, give me some insight. This is great. And, um, and two, I want to invite and encourage you to share with the listeners so that the, you know, this is where the marketing business thing comes in, you know, sort of the social media, the shameless plugs of it all. Share it, share with the folks. They can check out all things meander.
Martha Robichaud: Um, yeah. So you can follow us on Instagram at meanderartbar. That's meander, like a meandering river. Um, we also have a website meanderartbar.com. You can email us at info at meanderartbar.com. I'll also throw out there that if you are local creative in any medium in any form, you are so welcome to reach out to us. If you want to collaborate on anything, um, we're, we're doing workshops for teaching classes.
We're starting clubs. So if you've got an idea and you're looking for a venue, reach out. You can shoot us an email. We also have a Google forum that's linked. Um, from our Instagram and we have a Facebook too. If that's your jam.
Rob Lee: And there you have it folks. I want to again, thank Martha robo show for coming on to the podcast and chatting with me about meander art bar and her insights on arts and creativity. And for Martha, I am Rob Lee saying that there's art culture and community in and around your neck of the woods. You just have to look for it.
