Cathy Manherz is the driving force behind Studio 8, a brand new community space for artists, lecturers, photographers, or anyone who wants to learn something new or pass on some knowledge. It is housed in a gorgeous little building on Glanworth Drive, London, complete with a small sundeck and array of colourful flowers. They describe their building as somewhere that “provides the challenge and inspiration you need to facilitate personal growth so you can become the person you want to be” and from the moment you step through the door you feel that welcoming spirit. The scented candles are fresh and inviting and the whole building is bathed in a warm, natural light.
Studio 8 began life in a rather odd, and somewhat spiritual, way. Cathy had been trying to sell the building for quite a while, but it simply wouldn’t sell.
Cathy: It’s all about giving back. But I knew there was a reason that this building wasn’t selling. It’s a beautiful building in the lovely village of Glanworth that has a great local community.
Eventually the building finally sold, or so she thought, as whilst she was down in Vermont she got a call to say the deal had fallen through due to lack of financing from the purchaser leaving the building sitting empty from April until October.
Cathy: I was thinking, “what am I going to do with this place”, when suddenly after a day spent in Vermont with my camera to shoot the fall foilage and covered bridges, I woke up at 3 o’clock one morning with idea! It was the perfect place for a photography and art studio, I wanted to turn it into a place to create!
From there it just snowballed into something much bigger than I was expecting it to be. So I took it off the market and just said “Ok what is this going to cost”.
However, she couldn’t do this all alone, her friends (and now business partners) Sherry Purdie, a former school administrator, and Amanda Smith, a professional photographer, have been working along with Cathy from October 2016. Sherry’s main job is taking care of all the admin and organisation of the business, although Cathy wryly quipped during our tour that “her main job is to keep me in line”, whilst Amanda lends her hand to whatever is required, be it taking classes or painting the whole building.
Amanda: I’m a Jack of all trades.
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