Damian Stamer’s painting studio is in the middle of nowhere, Hillsborough. It’s quiet, peaceful, and detached from the rest of the world. That’s where I found myself today, the 6th day of the Work Experience Program. It was a jarring shift from yesterday at dash studio, in the heart of the Raleigh downtown, loud and bustling. When I arrived, Mr. Stamer showed me around his studio and answered some questions I had emailed him previously. He told me about how he got into art, how the art world works, and how he makes his passion his career. Around noon, a woman who works at an art gallery came in for a studio visit, bringing her 2-year-old child, who seemed very interested in running around the studio and stealing objects from people. After that, we went to lunch at the only restaurant in a 20-mile radius: a BBQ joint named Picnic. Finally, we went back to the studio and Mr. Stamer showed me lithographic prints he had done.
