During the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, Brooke Yandle made her arrival to Carbondale in pursuit of a master’s in oil painting at SIU. She never anticipated owning her own art shop; she said she had no expectations and was merely happy to be in Illinois. Post-graduate school, she received her first grant from the city to create a mural while teaching at John A. Logan College. Yandle is now embarking into unknown territory on an artistic business adventure. 

Originally from Tennessee, Yandle said she came “to the great state of Illinois” to find refuge in the blue shade. Just before she arrived in Carbondale, she was working at a factory and living in her sister’s spare bedroom. Five years later, she officially opened Hawthorne’s doors on Sept. 25. This art store does not fit into binary terms, though. Yandle has multiple missions and works with different artists to offer a safe space to create. The sky is the limit when it comes to the services and opportunities Hawthorne offers. 

Yandle described Hawthorne Art as “if you took Hobby Lobby, but like a moral Hobby Lobby and then mixed it with an event center and a woodshop and then just saw what happened.” 

She first acquired the space from a local blacksmith who was no longer utilizing the space and now rents it to Yandle. 

“Every month’s sort of like, I start at zero and I have to survive,” she said. But she explained that even if she no longer has the building once the year is up, Hawthorne will continue to endure, even if it’s in her car or on a streetcorner. 

Her entire vision of Hawthorne is to provide individuals with artistic solutions for a multitude of creative avenues. The space offers consignment for local artists to stage their work to sell. She’s invited locals to stop by and create for free. Beginning artists can rent supplies for the day to create or purchase retail or used supplies. Yandle offers one-on-one lessons, group classes like figure drawing club, flower arrangements, watercolor workshop and a portfolio review day. 

Yandle currently has 10 local artists’ work for sale and displaying in Hawthorne. She intends to assist with artists’ business growth. Inside the store, she serves as the eyes and ears for any feedback that displayed work might receive. She can then deliver the feedback to artists to help them increase sales. 

Cybil Johnson is a local sheet metal artist and is one of 10 artists who have their work displayed at Hawthorne. She’s a graduate student currently in her thesis. Johnson first met Yandle three years ago when she first came to Carbondale. Johnson attended her thesis presentation and was mesmerized by her paintings and her intriguing skillset. 

“I thought it was amazing, what her mission was, you know to get artists out locally or in school; get their artwork out, start making connections, start selling it, get it out, let the world see it because I think her also being an artist we know that sometimes we hoard our art, we don’t want people to see it,” Johnson said. 

She added that Yandle continues to reach out to art students at SIU to check in and come to events the school is hosting. 

“I will say this a million times for the rest of my life; artists need to support each other,” Yandle said. “Like if one of us can offer a service, that we can all sort of use; come and use that space for that. If they have an idea, let’s just do it. Let’s stop sitting around doing our part-time jobs and wishing for a better life. Let’s just take that little extra work and let’s make it happen.” 

As both a commercial artist and a fine artist, she draws political inspiration from her oil paintings, but enjoys connecting with the community through her murals and window art. Notable community work includes large murals inside Rip’s Pizza, Lost Forest Coffee House and Pub’s exterior wall, Yummy Donuts window art and Phoenix Cycles’ signage. 

Dave Lubbs, an employee at Phoenix Cycles, said Yandle approached them about six months ago to revamp their outside sign. 

“I was impressed, I liked working with Brooke and I’ve seen some images of what Brooke did in other places that inspired me to see what she could do,” Lubbs said. 

Lubbs added he likes the design so much he’s thinking about creating a T-shirt with the design on it. 

Yandle explained that every time she does something new for the first time it’s “terrifying,” but she’s had the guidance of SIU’s Small Business Development Center. 

SBDC has been notable in assisting many local businesses in getting their feet on the ground, while navigating that unfamiliar territory of opening a new business. Yandle said she attends one-on-one check-ins about every two months to make sure she’s on the right track with her journey. She also participated in their 10-week program where she received a grant to assist in her business development. 

“I highly recommend it, even if you just like, you know what you kind of want to do, but you don’t know how that would ever look, you can just go and talk to them, and like, they can sort of give you a lot of information,” Yandle said. 

Yandle originally went to school for music, but then picked up an art class, and felt called to pursue art. Although she had been drawing and painting since she was a child, she said, “that’s when it went from a hobby to a discipline.” 

Throughout her creative process in her oil paintings, she draws inspiration from the political climate. During her time teaching graphic design at John. A Logan, she taught her students how to be more attuned to media literacy. 

“My last work was entirely about sort of that shame of being an American who was sort of like, right outside the firing line, like you’re watching these things that you, like, morally disagree with, but they’re not affecting you personally, and that sort of shame and like, should you do something about it,” Yandle said.

She begins her creative process by first writing in her journal. Although she doesn’t necessarily consider herself a writer, this is an important part of her craft. She begins by pulling reference from what’s happening in the world, or movie references like anime often creating fictional characters during the writing process. Yandle said painting serves as her outlet to express her feelings and emotions while diving deep into her notes. 

“We have our own mythologies and characters, so my characters are fictional in that way, that they represent an idea of emotion,” Yandle said. “Some of these people, they just represent the idea of freedom or escapism. And then some of them are more specific references.”  

Similarly, Johnson welds triangles of sheet metal together in her own outlet, as well. Her thesis is called order and chaos, but the sculpture displayed at Hawthorne is an “exploration of mass and motion” and how she captured “stillness and steel.” 

“So many things are happening in the world right now. And the only thing I can make sense with is putting triangles together and making these forms and having these conversations with the world over a form I created,” Johnson said. 

Yandle welcomes people who have no artistic experience to her classes. She said the only thing she asks of participants is they come with a willingness to learn. 

“Some people just can’t roll into college,” Johnson said. “So having a place like Brooke’s place, open up, gives everyone, no matter if you went to school, a chance to meet up, and get your art out there.” 

The Carbondale Chamber of Commerce has additionally assisted with helping Brooke navigate how to network her business. 

“I think it adds to the vibrancy of the city,” William Lo, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, said. “I would say if you’re a small business that wants to receive more attention, reach out to Hawthorne Arts.” 

Hawthorne Art is located at 104 S. Marion St. and open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Staff reporter Kristen Borchers can be reached at kborchers@dailyegyptian.com.

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