A community needs a place just to create and express

Where fertilizer, lime and bird seed were once housed, now blooms ideas and concepts. Known as The Imprompt, the old River Country Store on First Street in Cornell, is home to a pottery and art studio/creative space.

Owned by Marlee and Keith Agner, the building was actually purchased to provide a place for Keith’s office, where the bulk fertilizer and lime was kept. Once that renovation was complete, the couple decided to offer Old Abe Warehousing, where other companies can be housed. They then turned their attention to The Imprompt, which is located where the country store was.

“That was an after thought, actually,” said Marlee. Marlee tried to lease the large room, but had no luck, so she decided to do something with it herself. Since she plays music and works with artists out of Eau Claire, she felt it would be a perfect place to create things.

“And I just got tired of having to go all the way over there,” said Marlee. “So, I decided to open my own gallery/ studio space/maker space and have a place to play music.”

The Imprompt has two pottery wheels, as well as a kiln. Marlee offers a free lesson, for people to get started working with clay, but also offers memberships, so people can bounce ideas off each other, as well as have acess to a potery wheel and kiln.

“I don’t think you come here to get formal training or anything like that,” said Marlee. “It’s more like you come here just to create and co-create with other people, learn from other people, in a non-stressful environment.”

Marlee also wants to have summer programming for kids and offers classes for them, each Friday, for a small fee.

“My hope was to bridge the gap between school,” she said.

Marlee, who is originally from Texas, while Keith is from Kenosha, moved to the area about 10 years ago, so while she wasn’t hear that long, she knows how busy the country store/co-op was. In fact, some people still stop into the space and are surprised to see pottery inside, instead of the birdseed they came for.

“I want to maintain the history of everything here,” said Marlee. “The feed mill was so important, for so many families.”

The Imprompt is open, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m., Sunday. To inquire about classes or exhibiting area, Marlee can be contacted at marleeagner@theimprompt. com.

“Doing something for myself, while also doing something for the community, that is what this is supposed to be.”