Live.Work.Play. IVCBA Spring 2021

Monika Piper Johnson

© CHRIS TALBOT

By Meghan

Ochs

his past year during the COVID-19 pandemic nothing has remain unchanged. Demographics have shifted, and everyone, everywhere, including the residents and business owners in our local communities, have been impacted by the shifting regulations, guidelines and precautions taken to slow the spread of COVID-19. Monika Piper Johnson, local artist, of both paint and hair, is no different. Monika who has been an Incline resident since 1995, is a perfect example of both the creativity and resiliency demanded of local business owners during this challenging time.

Piper J. Studio is the paint and art gallery Monika owns in town. The studio is located at 230 Village Blvd., Suite #3, and for the past few years it has been both an art gallery as well as her styling studio for her hair clients. Prior to the beginning of COVID, Monika already had an interesting story combining her love of various art forms and expressing them both on canvas through oil painting and on people’s heads through

LIVE.WORK.PLAY. | 8 | SPRING 2021

cutting and coloring. As an artist, Monika always felt the two paired well together, different art forms both requiring similar skills and dexterity, but different applications of her creativity and talent. Additionally, Monika always saw hair styling as a bit of a safety net. There is not a lack of talented artists in the area, yet so many struggle to sell their art and make a living off of their artistic talents. Destination towns like Incline Village and Crystal Bay, where populations shift based on the season, means that sometimes the economics make it difficult for a full time art studio or gallery to be supported. Monika has been well aware of this challenge facing those who produce art. Despite her impressive education and background in art, including studying under such famous artists as Kevin Macpherson and Jean LeGassick, Monika always worried her gallery wouldn’t be enough on its own. The term ‘starving’ artist is a well-known phrase for a reason, sometimes even to those who have as impressive of a resume as she does. Her work in oil painting features ‘en plein air’, meaning outdoor landscapes. Monika’s paintings have been shown in nearly every gallery or center in the area including The Wilbur May Museum, St. Mary’s Art Center, Liberty Fine Art and North Tahoe Arts, just to name a few. Now, in 2021, as COVID-19 is slowly beginning to get under control, she decided it was time for a change and is adjusting her business model accordingly by letting go of one of her creative outlets for good.

As is a common story in Tahoe, Monika moved here for her love of skiing. Since she left Boston, Monika has been styling and coloring hair as a master colorist. She has owned three different hair salons; however, starting this May she is officially retiring her shears. “Last year when I was allowed to resume hairstyling my clients trusted me that we would be the only people in the space. The gallery couldn’t be open. It was then I realized the two businesses no longer went well together.” Understanding that the potential risk was too much, Monika is now taking the leap to open a full time, year-round studio gallery. The transition to her full-time art space has already begun and she is hoping to take advantage of the population and demographic shift occurring in our community with more full time home owners. “There is never going to be a time that is not risky or scary, this is the time.” Monika knows she is taking a leap of faith on her new gallery, but as she explained, “I know it can be difficult to make a living as an artist while you’re alive, but I am more interested in making a life worth living than just a living.” She hopes she can do that not just for herself and her own work, but also for other local and regional artists. Monika

foresees her studio gallery as a place where other artists who do not always have a venue or outlet to showcase their jewelry, photos, paintings or various other art forms, can gather and display their talents and pieces with local residents and visitors. This type of collaboration with other artists isn’t too different from what Monika has done in the past. In 2016, she opened an art studio and gallery, Cobalt Artist Studio with a partner but when she moved out of town, Monika took over the whole space and moved her hair station in. Now, under the new business model at Piper J. Studio, which is actually her original vision, she won’t have any partners, but her full-time focus will be creating art, and then marketing and selling it in the studio gallery. It will be a chance and opportunity for herself and other artists to succeed and grow. Her gallery will provide a place for showings, exhibitions, sales and even some unique local art events. Monika knows committing fully to her art is a big step, but at the same time it also feels natural, “This is not a new business, it’s just a reinvention.” If that doesn’t sum up the resourcefulness and positivity of a talented artist, bound for success, then we’re not sure what does. IVCBA and the entire Incline and Crystal Bay Community wish Monika luck in her new venture.