History of the Couchfire Collective

The Beginning
The Couchfire Collective began in 2006 as a group of nine people looking to share a section of Junctionview Studios in Grandview, Ohio. After moving in, discussions amongst us began, as to how each could benefit the other. It was decided that a collective be formed to create an alliance between these individuals. Our group originally consisted of Adam Brouillette, Mike Reed, Anne Holman, Michael Litzau, Mike Decker, Katie Arends, Dave Horton, Boryana Rusenova, and Andrew Ina.

The Expansion
As ground rules for sharing the studio areas were set, we began to construct ways of establishing ourselves as a collective, each artist looking to help the other. The group took on the challenge of creating and managing the Agora event, which brings together other Columbus artists and performers as well as art patrons in an effort to promote local arts. Through the management of the event, networking, and promotion, our group began to gain notoriety in the Columbus art scene. The group eventually expanded to include three others: Adam Crum, Emily Cable, and Jay Moffett. Through their addition, the collective efforts increased to include several smaller shows and an larger Agora event in the spring of 2007.

The Continuation
Public mention of the group as well as continued growth in allies spurned yet another change. The group voted to recruit outside of the studio walls. This allowed the group to expand once again to include Jen Adrion, Ginnie Baer, Sarah Weinstock, and Tony Belleau. With the expansion, the group hopes to work together to acheive even greater individual and group success.