Spot the Shop: Cariku Art Lab Studio brings art exploration to Black Mountain

Carolina Rojas Newman has been making art since she was 9. Now, she has opened Cariku Art Lab Studio in Black Mountain to continue her work and help others find their artistic side.

A Venezuelan immigrant with family in Spain, Rojas Newman studied industrial design in college and said she worked with several artists during and after graduating before moving to the U.S. with her two daughters, Sofia and Alessia.

She then worked in Miami in several galleries and exhibits, with her own work being displayed worldwide. Eventually, she moved to the Asheville area around eight years ago because her daughters wanted to attend college in the area.

While she is traditionally a bronze sculpture artist, Rojas Newman said she is now looking to explore and work more with North Carolina’s native materials.

“It’s a pleasure to work with bronze, and I miss it,” Rojas Newman said. “But now that I’m here in North Carolina, I’m going to explore more of the different types of clays of the region.”

Less than a month ago, Rojas Newman opened Cariku Art Lab Studio, a new concept that will allow her to continue her own work while also letting others who are interested come in and work on their own pieces.

She said she opened the studio because she wanted to “give something to the community.” When the opportunity presented itself to her, she said she took the risk and decided to open. She said she and her husband, Eric, did all of the work themselves, painting and building everything they needed.

Rojas Newman said her goal with the space is to create an environment where anyone can come in and explore their artistic ideas.

“It’s a community space. I want people to come and explore. That’s why I call it the art lab,” Rojas Newman said. “It’s basically open to anybody that has ideas.”

Cariku Art Lab Studio operates on a membership model. Members pay a fee to be able to come in and use every tool and equipment they need for their projects. Members must purchase their own clay, and there is a firing fee, but members have the entire studio available to them and are able to store their work there. Currently, the open studio is available Mondays and Fridays.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Rojas Newman hosts classes. Right now, she is offering beginner hand building and beginner wheel, but she expects those offerings to expand once Cariku Art Lab Studio is more established in the community.

Rojas Newman said her biggest success as an artist is being able to show people her art “without any restrictions.” She said opening the studio space is also a big success for her and she hopes bringing the community into the space will also be a success.

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“I wish the community will embrace it and find it a very peaceful and open space,” Rojas Newman said. “When people are very stressed and they come into this space, they need to find peace. They need to listen to soft music, grab their clay, get into their zone. For me, that’s how I want to envision this space.”

Karrigan Monk is the Swannanoa Valley communities reporter for Black Mountain News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kmonk@blackmountainnews.com.