Meet Continuum Gallery of Historical Downtown Hendersonville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Continuum Gallery. Them and their team share their story with us below:

One could say that Continuum was a long time in the making. Born from the desire to create a space where non-traditional tattooing and art was celebrated, Continuum co-founders Katie Montes and Cody Reed were able to officially bring their vision to fruition in 2021.

They worked together for five years in a local tattoo shop, scheming to create a space that could change the tattoo industry and allow them to work with world-class artists. Inspired by the Polynesian art of tattooing, where tattoos symbolize important rites of passage and have potential to empower others during transformational periods. Both wanted to create artwork that can serve as both a meaningful symbol and a beautiful ornamental piece. Unfortunately, according to Katie, “there are a lot of toxic elements to apprenticeships, and a culture of bullying, narcissism, disrespect and fear is often the norm.” That’s exactly the attitude they’re seeking to combat in Continuum. As two people who have both experienced the painful process of tattooing and even discrimination within the art community, they want Continuum to be a space where everyone feels secure and respected. The creation of this collective was like receiving their rite of passage tattoo, only it was the clients who inspired us to trudge on and trust the process.

It’s impossible to talk about the way Continuum came to be without mentioning the ways Katie, Cody, and their community members came together to keep their visions afloat during the Coronavirus pandemic. After the surprising (but very welcomed) acquisition of the 8,000 square foot space, the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 nearly put a halt to their plans. Suddenly, tattoo shops closed and neither artist was able to work. While Katie distributed masks she had sewn herself (originally for free until her community insisted on payment), Cody worked tirelessly to sell commissioned paintings. The proceeds from both helped keep the plans for Continuum moving forward. Community members and previous clients also dedicated their time and effort to advance Continuum’s growth without expecting anything in return, and the pair says their clients are “everything.” They agree that Continuum and all it represents would never have come to be without their support.

In the future, Continuum will continue to be a home for all types of art, artists, and craftspeople. Katie and Cody will also be featuring apprenticeships free of the negative, judgemental attitudes they’ve encountered in the past. Tattoo artists and the public alike will be able to book appointments in a way which also allows them to also enjoy all the other events happening at Continuum, which include dance classes, gallery showings, drawing and painting classes, live music, monthly art markets, spotlight events, and more.

So what does the future hold for Continuum Arts? Plans are well underway for this space to offer a suite of workshops, classes, studio spaces, live events, and more. Continuum Arts will serve as a space where individuals can book their tattoo appointment around other offerings happening onsite that day, from life drawing classes to live music to color mixing workshops. Clients who are also artists will have a space to display and sell their work or perform. One Saturday per month, Continuum Arts will arrange a spotlight event for local artists seeking extra exposure. They will also hold regular art markets the first Saturday of each month, with pieces that cover a wide breadth of artistic domains and styles to expand the consciousness of the local artistic community. In this new space, Continuum Art’s ultimate aim is to serve as a gathering place for artists supporting artists and enriching the wider Hendersonville community through their art.

Join us on Saturday, August 7th for our grand opening. Stop by and meet some local artists and makers at our art market from 12-5pm, enjoy dance performances from two local troupes, and take in the sounds of local acoustic, rock and blues musicians, until 10pm!

[Continuum Art aims to help people live creative lives by cultivating a community of artists, both studio and tattoo, who will be encouraged to always share, learn, critique, and grow together in an ever-evolving and unique environment of creative inquiry.]

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You are invited to join us at any of the events described in the attached word document. We’d also love to speak with you in an effort to promote our grand opening and all upcoming events. We have longer descriptions of each show, market, etc. that can also be shared.

To learn more about Continuum, who we are and how we came to be, please visit our website – ContinuumArtNC.com. Our story is shared on our blog and upcoming events are shared on our “events” page. Any media questions can be directed to Mandy Hartman at Mandy@ContinuumArtNC.com, and any other questions can be directed to Questions@ContinuumArtNC.com.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Opening a large space with so many different facets is hard work! Getting through the Pandemic of 2020

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Cody focuses on mostly Oil painting a Tattoos. Katie is passionate about many different mediums including clay an oils. She is passionate about how tattoos can change a person’s outlook on life.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Apps: Canva, Procreate, Google Docs Podcasts: Philosophise This, Last Podcast on the Left, Darknet Diaries.
Books:

CODY: Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis, the artist’s way, the dark tower series,

KATIE: The Road, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Contact Info:

• Email: questions@continuumartnc.com
• Website: www.continuumartnc.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/continuumgallerync

Image Credits
-Personal and artist photos, Katie Montes -Haec Culti Graphic , Mandy Hartman