For two years, Chris Rich and his wife, Sara Dismukes, have been on a mission – a mission to grow community through the arts.

As owners of studio 116 in downtown Brundidge, the couple is celebrating two years in “business” in the community they chose to make their home.

Rich was the program guest at the Wednesday meeting of the Brundidge Rotary Club. He told the Rotarians that his hope is to see the community embrace the arts much as it has embraced him and his wife.

“Studio 116 is our way of giving back to our community,” he said.

Studio 116 gives back in a variety of ways. The studio features a gallery of artworks made by regional artists, live performances and events, workshops for the visual and performing arts for children and adults and studio space for rent.

Studio 116 is celebrating its second anniversary this month and the Studio’s newest venture, Art Camp, is another reason to celebrate.

“Right now, there’s creative energy coming from the Studio a mile a minute,” Rich said, laughing. “Art Camp is underway and, this morning, we had kids ages five to nine and they can get your adrenalin going.”

Rich said Art Camp will run three weeks with sessions in the morning and afternoon. Each week, the camp will focus on a different theme – land, water and sky.

“The camps allow kids to be creative,” Rich said. “Kids need to have opportunities to be creative and creativity should be encouraged.”

Rich said the movers and shakers in today’s world are creative people, people with innovative and challenging ideas.

“Creativity should be encouraged in everyone,” he said. “Art and music are creative endeavors and we have some exceptionally talented people in our area.”

Studio 116 provides a stage for performers and a place of entertainment for the community and beyond.

“We want to provide for the community what we found here,” Rich said. “We want to continue to create more ‘happenings’ for the people of this area, through art and music.

We want to join with others whose belief, also, is that you can create community through the arts. More people are attending events and workshops at the studio 116 and that’s an indication of increasing interest in the arts.”

Rich said for a town of 2,000, Brundidge has a lot going and the arts, both fine and folk, could soon become the town’s niche.