Arts and Entertainment Just Another Hobo Holiday

About a month ago, Clare Anderson and Edgars Safronovs answered an ad for studio space owned by Tara Sell and Matt Alison of F8 Gallery in Bradenton's Village of the Arts. Moving into the second month in the space, the couple is busily making art in an ArtWalk-ready studio.

The studio space is not a whole lot bigger than a garage, its outsides painted to resemble a big red barn. Prominently displayed over the entrance way is a sign reading ”Hobo Holiday,“ claiming their space. To the left Safronov sits over a pottery wheel working on a part clay pot, part earth box. To the right Anderson sits at her loom weaving a rug.
The insides are a neat clutter of DIY mini-zines, paintings on cardboard, weaved rugs, scarves, shawls and freshly fired pottery.

”We’re more around the craft side, crafts for practicality,“ Anderson said.  

Anderson works with donated materials and weaves things people would actually use. She describes her weaved creations as ”easy and practicle.“

Anderson grew up in Bradenton, attending school there and earned a degree in Spanish literature. Safronovs is a traveling artist from Latvia. The two met in a bar in Spain. Anderson was visiting a friend and teaching English. Safronovs was on his way through to Senegal. ”But they never made it,“ Anderson laughed.

The couple began traveling together, never staying in one place for a year. They traveled to Romania, Peru and of course Latvia. In Latvia, they had a studio in a community building and taught various craft workshops. Most recently the two jumped aboard a Brigantine Schooner in France and set sail for the United States.

A Brigantine Schooner is an engineless cargo ship, drawn by sails. It is an incredible piece of equipment, and striking to see. ”When we would get to port, everyone says ÔLook! Pirates!,’ but no, we just wanted some coffee and sugar,“ Anderson said.

The people running the ship had built it. Anderson and Safronovs worked alongside the crew as they traveled. ”It’s their craft, they teach you and we learned the craft and its history,“ Anderson said.

They spent four months on the ship before landing for good. ”It just so happened we liked the work, so long as it lasted, then we had had enough,“ Anderson explained.

Anderson and Safronovs moved here thinking they would want to stay. Despite settling into the Village comfortably, Safronovs’ visa expires soon and they will return to Latvia. For now they occupy the studio space connected to F8. Hence, the ”Hobo Holiday.“

Anderson explains the name comes from a concept they developed during a stay they had on Anna Maria Island. A bum is different than a hobo. A bum is homeless and doesn’t work or travel. A hobo, while technically homeless, is a traveling worker. Anderson and Safronvos are certainly traveling workers. Now they are working but not traveling. ”That means we’re on a holiday,“ said Safronovs.

The community developing in the Village is unlike any other the couple has seen. The community is so large, organized and supported by the local government. ”It definitely has potential,“ said Safronovs.

Anderson is particularly enjoying their location in the south Village. ”It’s a neighborhood network of people into the same thing more or less. People call me to say ÔClare, I have this god awful yarn,’ and I go and pick it up,“ she said.

Anderson saw the Village come to be. Slowly houses were bought up and turned into galleries. During one of her longer stays in Bradenton she was weaving, doing workshops and selling her things in The Blue Marschmellow. ”Every year there’s more galleries, and now they’re all the way down here,“ she said referring to the south end of the Village.

Some of the highlights living in the south end of the Village are the parties, gatherings and ice cream men. ”They must have some customers down here. I can’t even keep track of all the ice cream men,“ Anderson said.