Moab is a natural hub for the creative, with multitudes of artists and musicians drawing inspiration from the towering red rock. However, the tourist economy has long dominated the area, with other non-visitor-focused industries playing second fiddle.
But Moab’s creative community is not deterred. Early this September, three Moab-based artists founded a new all-female co-op space — Goblin Studio (@goblinstudiomoab on Instagram) — to work in, collaborate and support each other.
“I just texted Holly Williams and said, ‘What if we just opened a studio downtown?’” said Abby Leighton, one of Goblin Studio’s artists.
“I came to see the space the next day, and it was perfect,” she said.
The workspace is inviting and cozy as Leighton sits cross-legged in a chair before her desk, hunched over her iPad as she draws a new logo for a client beneath string lights. Williams is packaging art prints in USPS envelopes to fly across the country and beyond. Sarah Osgood isn’t currently in the studio, but her easel props up a desert landscape next to her desk.
“It’s great inventory space, and most of all, it’s nice having a designated office space that isn’t in my house,” said Williams, a printmaker who works under the name Pine Barren Press. “It really keeps me motivated and forces me to get to work.”
Together, the three work and share inspiration in this studio space overlooking Center Street. As the sun sets, the artists wind down their individual projects, whether they’ll be mailed, submitted electronically or sold in a local store.
Leighton has found her niche designing pins, patches and prints for America’s national parks and other public lands for Moab’s tourists and locals alike. Leighton’s work has been featured on stickers, postcards and other media available at visitor centers throughout the national park system or locally at Moab Made. Her first book, “National Parks Maps,” will be available next spring at visitor centers across the country.
“I’m always looking for new ways to better my work and to raise awareness for what I believe in,” she says.
“Moab has a really good handful of artists and a great arts community among the area’s popular outdoor activities,” Leighton commented. “Whether you reach out over Instagram or see them in a local art store, you can meet them and work together.”
Goblin Studio may be accepting other artists to join the space in December. Follow the artists at @goblinstudiomoab
Goblin Studio opens in Main Street space
