MEEKER | When local artist Pat Daggett first moved to Meeker in the late 1990s, she believed she could balance raising her son with creating art from home. But the realities of housework and the constant pull of daily tasks made it clear she needed a dedicated place to work. In 1997, she rented her first studio space in the historic Hugus building—becoming only the second tenant after its renovation—and everything changed.
“It was surprising how different it felt to work full time in a space that was just for art,” she said.
Her young son would join her after school, meeting her in the studio where she painted, photographed artwork and built the foundations of a career that would soon become a pillar of Meeker’s arts community.
Over the next two decades, Daggett’s studio grew alongside her work. In 2004 she added a gallery space, and in 2019—just months before the pandemic—she expanded again, opening a back gallery that showcased not only her own paintings but the work of 15 to 18 other regional artists. What began as a workspace evolved into a community hub: a place where school classes visited, traveling artists stopped in to talk shop and local kids could see scenes of their hometown reflected on canvas.
Leaving that space earlier this year wasn’t easy.
Daggett describes the transition as “bittersweet.” The walls held decades of memories—portraits she painted of entire elementary classes, lively conversations with visitors, moments of mentorship and countless small stories tied to individual pieces. She remembers painting every fifth grader at Meeker Elementary for four consecutive years, offering each one a bit of encouragement before they stepped into middle school. She later re-painted her son’s class when they were seniors, bookending an entire chapter of their lives through art.
Moving meant sorting through years of paintings, supplies and frames, deciding what to keep, what to store and what, painfully, to let go. Downsizing was necessary. She shifted into three new locations: her main gallery and studio at Streamline Realty, a storage area across the street and a small framing shop her husband built in their backyard.
“It was a logistics nightmare at times,” she said with a laugh, though she’s grateful for the help and the fresh start. The move, she said, also forced her to rethink her work—something she now considers a blessing.
The new studio is smaller, quieter and intentionally pared down. Instead of juggling the needs of nearly two dozen artists, Daggett now carries far fewer and is carving out time to paint again—something she struggled to do in recent years.
“The new space cleared my head,” she said. “I realized how much all the clutter, physical and mental, had filled up my mind. Now, when I walk in here, I know exactly what I want to work on.”
Since settling in, she’s found renewed joy in plein air painting and in revisiting unfinished pieces with fresh eyes. She hasn’t been in the space long enough to notice shifts in her palette or style, but she feels changes already emerging.
Daggett will host her first open house in the new studio this month, continuing a tradition she began in 2004. This year’s event will be more intimate than the bustling shows she once held upstairs in the Hugus Building, but she sees that as an opportunity rather than a loss. Works by local artist Andy Goettel will also be on display during the show and throughout the year.
The new location operates differently than her longtime upstairs gallery. Rather than fixed hours, Daggett said visitors can look for a yellow sandwich board on the sidewalk—if the sign is out, the gallery is open. Those who prefer can call the number posted outside to arrange a visit.
More than anything, she looks forward to reconnecting with the community that has supported her for more than 25 years.
“I’m just happy to be painting again,” she said. “Art is always an exploration. You never reach a finish point. There’s always something more to learn, something new to try.”
For Daggett, the new studio represents exactly what she needs—a fresh canvas with room to grow. Her new space blends personal history, decades of craft and a renewed commitment to local art. And for anyone curious to step inside, the yellow sandwich board out front is the sign that the door—and her artwork—are open.
Local artist Pat Daggett in The Upstairs Gallery studio space that was home to her work for more than 20 years in the Hugus Building. She relocated this summer to Streamline Realty across the street (600 Main) and will host her annual open house there for the first time this weekend (see ad on page 5). (Above right) The move required the sorting and rearranging of decades of compiled works, works-in-progress, and supplies. DOMINICK CARDILE PHOTOS
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