SANGER – The long-running Mixed Messages Art and Gifts has now moved to a larger building, and owner Kathleen Mattox encourages the community to “come curious, leave inspired.”
Mixed Messages opened its new storefront — located at 1328 Seventh St. — on Jan. 24, and since then, Mattox has been working to get the word out on things to come. Now having a significantly larger space, she aims to make the business not just a place to sell paintings and teach classes, but an inspiring space open to all creatives.
“I’m already feeling like we could do some things we’ve never done before,” Mattox said. “We could have live music … we could have poetry reading or different things that we’ve never done. So, I think it will become that, more and more over time.”
Mattox said that she had always wanted her own gallery, and after retiring from Fresno Unified School District in 2006, she spent the next five years thinking of how to make that dream a reality. She eventually took the leap and opened the original Mixed Messages in 2011, just a street over from the current location.
Over the course of the next 14 years, Mattox established a community of artists and students within the walls of the charming brick building. Though she occasionally hosted other artists and instructors, Mattox said she taught the majority of the classes, which included: water color, acrylic painting, collages, mixed media, journaling and more.
She said the original building served its purpose well throughout the years, but it could only comfortably fit four adults or six kids. As the demand for classes and Maddox’s own goals for the business grew, she knew it was time to size up.
Filling in a blank canvas
Maddox shared that the current space, at first, was actually her last option out of three considered locations. But once she began moving in, she realized it was perfect for her new vision.
The east and west walls are covered from nearly floor to ceiling with striking reds, cool blues, lively greens and more. Mattox said all of the paintings are hers, but that the shelves throughout the shop are loaded with various physical art and gifts made by other local artists.
The eye-catching displays are sorted by sections, with categories including: arts and music, pets and animals, places, fantasy and the “inspiration station.”
The back half of the building serves as the new classroom, which can now easily accommodate about a dozen people, and possibly even more if extra tables were to be added. Mattox intends to make full use of the space to bring in more instructors to teach an even wider range of classes.
Class prices are determined in collaboration with the artist-instructors, and are aimed to be as low as possible while still paying the artists and keeping the business running. Those who regularly participate in classes may also occasionally get a free class as a sign of appreciation.
Although this strategy has made things challenging at times, to Mattox it’s worth it if she can keep the space open to as many people as possible.
“I try to keep my rates to the artists that are here very low,” Mattox said. “They’re probably lower than anywhere else, and that’s always worked to my disadvantage, but I still see it as a positive because it brings in a different group of people.”
Outside of the classes, Mixed Messages aims to educate guests about art even in the way the paintings are arranged. Visitors may notice apparent duplicates of paintings on the walls, but a closer look typically reveals that one is an original while the other is a print.
Mattox said this is done to show viewers the physical differences between an original and a print, from the colors, to the texture and even the way it’s framed. Those interested in taking one home can discover the value in both, and make the choice that best suits their artistic desires or needs.
Now located in the heart of downtown, which has seen an increasing number of businesses moving and opening there, Mattox is excited to see how the community within Mixed Messages can expand outward and bring new life to the city of Sanger in times to come.
“It feels really exciting, and it makes me a little more optimistic about the possibilities because there’s a lot more people involved in the change,” Mattox said.
Those looking for an excuse to visit are invited to the shop’s ribbon cutting and after hours mixer on Feb. 28, which kicks off at 2 p.m. and will be hosted by the Sanger District Chamber of Commerce. Upcoming classes and additional updates can be found on Mixed Messages’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
