We are all about art, creation, imagination and the sharing of collective knowledge.
Meri Wiley is an award-winning fantasy doll maker and multi-media artist who lives in Gilbert. She wants to help make an impact in the local art community on a larger scale than her already considerable accomplishments over the last two decades. During that time, she has been hosting art events out of her home.
Meri (along with her younger sister Jen) started “the cARTel,” art group in Gilbert using FaceBook and Meetup platforms in December of 2015. For a small fee, Meri offered a huge list of supplies, from substrates to various paints, tools and an astonishing amount of ephemera to share in her spacious home studio for artists of all types. She and Jen gave advice, encouragement and support to all who signed up for their regular meetings and studio time. The cARTel group has been growing since the very beginning, having both accomplished artists and beginners alike join them in a relaxed atmosphere of creativity and support, including classes offered by varied artists over the years that encompass a wide range of subjects. The group held three gallery shows in 2020, 2023 and 2024 in Mesa. Now Meri has realized the need for a larger facility than her spacious home studio provides, in addition to making a few other changes as well.
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As of August 2024, “the cARTel” is now known as “the cARTel at the OneOhOne,” housed in most of the space of the long-established OneOhOne gallery located at 101 W. Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85201. This larger venue will allow space for more accomplished artists, as well as for those just wanting to dabble in the arts. She believes this move will also provide attendees with access to many experienced artists for inspiration and guidance in addition to that she and Jen already provide. Meri and her husband have invested in an enhanced experience throughout the facility with new paint, new state of the art security and gallery lighting, new creative space, and a new opportunity to purchase art supplies in a small retail outlet within the facility. There will also be over 2,200 square feet of gallery walls available for shows. Artists may rent a single wall for a specific time, dependent on other participating artists, or rent the entire gallery for bigger shows.
Memberships to the group and use of the facility can be purchased either in person or on this site. The participation cost is $55 per month for full access during business hours (Wednesday through Sunday, 9-5) or for a drop-in fee of $15 for a single-visit bit of creative play time. These fees include access to the marvelous array of equipment and tools that have always been available at Meri’s home studio. Meri plans to continue having special events and classes available. She is now looking for teachers with reasonably priced classes to give instruction in this new studio space.
Meri’s greatest hope is to enable people to return to their creative roots by encouraging them to play. She says, “If you return to your childhood creative mentality, then nothing is impossible.” Just as the cARTel experience has embodied exploration and play in the realm of creativity at her home studio, she hopes the cARTel at the OneOhOne location will prove to be all that and more, and the gallery practically has a “light-rail” stop at the front door at Robson and Main Street! She invites all artists of any level to “Come create with us!”
