Catbird Studio: Art Is Infrastructure
Written by Margee Stanfield
Photographed by Kristi Woody
Stepping into Catbird Studio feels like stepping into a world of flourishing creativity. You might just be stopping in for a latte from J-Town Coffee and settling into a cozy seat in the Catbird living room, but your senses will undoubtedly be enveloped by so much more, revealing the fact that this space’s roots run deeper than you might have imagined.
In a sort of symphonic synchrony, various forms of art intersect in this one building. On a given day, you might hear all these sounds all at once: piano keys chiming, the strum of strings, the swish of paintbrushes, the clinking of one chess piece claiming another. Someone is on stage. Someone is having a voice lesson in the music room. People are dancing. Kids are learning. Ideas are blooming, and inspiration is flowing. It all comes together — not just coexisting, but connecting, in this space that allows creativity and the joy of art to flourish and seep into every nook and cranny.
It’s infectious.
“I want every single person that walks in here to walk out feeling encouraged to continue being creative,” Suzanne Gillis, Owner and Creative Writing Director of Catbird Studio, said.
Catbird Studio is multifaceted, and what it does can be hard to describe succinctly. Each team member I talked to described it in their own way.
“We're an art studio and event venue. We do basically anything creative you can think of, and we try to either teach those skills or help hone those skills during the daytime, and then we like to show off those skills for events at night,” Suzanne said.
“It's a place that you can come and be the most creative version of yourself. Even if you think you're not creative, there's something for you here,” Leigh Ann Barrios, Catbird Studio’s Art Director, said.
“It's a place for all kinds of creators: writers, actors, musicians, photographers — everything. However you want to do art,” Kristen McAfee, Photography Director, said.
“Nothing like this has ever been in Jackson before. This type of space and environment is so unique. I call it my little unicorn,” Chrissy Taylor, Art and Piano Instructor, said.
Whether you’re five or 55, starting a new art form or honing an old one, eager or hesitant, there is a place for you here. You can find classes, parties, camps, photography sessions, concerts, and theatre productions, among other events, all at Catbird Studio. Whether it's engaging with someone else’s art or branching out and making your own, Catbird wants to see you — and Jackson — dive in.
“I want people to be able to not just create here — because that's the obvious thing that we do is create,” Suzanne said. “But I want people to feel like they can learn and connect and grow with other people and also with their craft.”
Catbird understands the power of art. Art can be a connective tissue and a seed for growth.
Art is not just entertainment; it's infrastructure.
The culture of a city can flourish or fade based on how it interacts with art and the people who make it. Whether we realize it or not, we are shaped by the art around us every day. And it is, in fact, all around us — even if some people in Jackson have yet to discover that reality. Some don’t think to engage with art at all. Others assume they have to leave town to find it.
“The conflict of it all is we're sort of set in our ways. I think it's still easy to maybe not trust that Jackson's gonna bring the quality — we have to go to Memphis or we have to go to Nashville to get that kind of quality. When it comes to art, we don't have to,” Suzanne said.
Art is alive and thriving right here in Jackson; we just have to engage with it.
“I've had those moments where I just let myself get down and think, ‘I don't know if they'll ever embrace us the way I want them to,’ but also, we'll turn right around and have another event, and everybody will show up to it, and my energy and my passion and my love for what we're doing here is completely restored,” Suzanne said.
“Art is alive and thriving right here in Jackson; we just have to engage with it.”
Chrissy painted me a picture that is frequently witnessed at Catbird and that all the team members have experienced in various ways. When one student first came to Chrissy for lessons, she was incredibly shy.
“Now to see her at this last recital that we had, she's so fiery and confident and just this big energy in this room now. And it just tore me up to pieces,” Chrissy said.
Confidence is just one fruit born of engaging with art — it also builds relationships. One of Chrissy’s greatest joys is having a student, like this one, simply share with her during a lesson what is going on at school or what they did last weekend. “Being able to not just teach her, but also being able to be a connection for her outside of school and at home is something that is just ... you can’t replace that,” Chrissy said.
Leigh Ann echoed this sentiment, having had the same experience. She also spoke about why these moments here at Catbird — whether it is one between teacher and student, coworkers, or just art and artist — are so foundational.
“It's a safe place for them to talk and feel connected to somebody,” Leigh Ann said. “I feel like art is a way just to express yourself, to heal yourself through certain things. You don't have to become an artist because you enjoy art. But I think it kind of pours into the other things that you're gonna do in life.”
Catbird is seeking to be a space for art and creativity to thrive and expand in Jackson, and every day, it turns around and displays exactly why art is so important. Catbird proves the power of art. At Catbird, the confidence of kids is blooming, strangers are becoming collaborators, and people are connecting on a deeper level through and beyond the art.
The catbird is one of the only birds that can mimic the sound of their predators and humans. They pursue a high vantage point so they can take in all of their surroundings from every direction and perspective. When danger threatens the vulnerable, they even use their talent to distract and protect. The catbird is creative, brave, and self-aware.
“We keep pushing forward and hoping that more and more people will learn about Catbird and learn about all the creative things that are happening in Jackson and just go from there,” Suzanne said.