“The Studio” offers new shopping alternative in Glenwood City

By Cara L. Dempski

GLENWOOD CITY — Local residents may have noticed a few changes in one of the storefronts on East Oak in Glenwood City starting last fall.

First, there was a small sign in the doorway asking people to be careful about the dogs inside. Then, a few woven pieces showed up on display in the front windows. After that, a few eye- and sun-catching pieces of stained glass could be seen hanging in the windows.

And, most recently, a new sign has gone up above the former optometry clinic at 124 East Oak Street in downtown Glenwood City reading simply “The Studio.”

Those who have had a chance to walk into the store owned by Dr. Dennis and Jane Soderberg have been greeted by a collection of old vinyl records playing on Jane’s record player from college as they look through the items she and Dennis have created over the past few years.

Jane Soderberg creates woven scarves and tapestries, and sews hats, scarves, and quilted items, while Dennis paints canvases, creates a variety of stained-glass items, and recently started making his own frames for the paintings.

The Baldwin couple have owned the storefront for many years, as it used to serve as Dennis’ clinic, but they decided to find a new use for it after the building was put up for sale and just did not sell.

“It had been on the market, and we just kind of changed it into our studio,” Jane explained, laughing.

She said while the shop is mostly the duo’s workplace for their projects, with Jane working on weaving, sewing and other items in the area where the receptionist used to greet patients, Dennis had turned one of his old exam rooms into his glass and painting studio. The former waiting area serves as the retail area of the shop.

One wall boasts acrylic paintings on canvas completed by Dennis and is interspersed with some of Jane’s quilted items. A small corner stand displays Christmas ornaments made out of old-fashioned clothes pins and painted and decorated to look like angels, Santa, and elves.

A pair of tree stands and tables are in the center of the room to display hats, scarves, and mittens, and a case nearby displays the stained glass nativity scenes Dennis has created. A rack of woven scarves, and framed pieces of tatting fill in the nooks and crannies around the shop.

“It really is a great spot to work, and everything here would make great gifts,” Dennis said of the shop.

Jane echoed him saying she hopes to see more people coming in for gifts that are not quite what someone might expect.

The Studio does not yet have set hours, but Jane Soderberg said people can usually find her and Dennis at the shop between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.