By William Smith
Deep in the bowels of Burlington’s Art Center, Burlington High School art teacher Tony Onesto toils away in a studio invisible to the general public.
He’s not the only one. The Allied Creators Studios, which Onesto founded 11 years ago, has plenty of traffic. For a small fee, local artists are given 24/7 access to the art studio.
A few will achieve recognition with their art. Most are just happy to have a space where they can create. No matter their reasons, the art they create is displayed prominently every year at the Snake Alley Art Fair.
“We have a line cook who is studying to be an art teacher now. We have a former Target employee who just became an art teacher. We had a nail stylist who was a painter. For the longest time, we have had a city worker from Fort Madison,” Onesto said.
Onesto’s goal is simple: Charge the minimum rental price to keep the doors open and let artists do their art — unless they need Onesto’s help. As a teacher, he’s always happy to oblige.
“Not everyone is dealt a great hand. They’re very artistic, but they don’t have an opportunity to create. Our motto is ‘helping creative people reach their dreams,’ ” Onesto said.
Onesto isn’t a Burlington native. He grew up in Chicago and spent some time in California as a youth.
“I’m a military brat, so I lived all over the country,” he said.
But he’s been living here for nearly a decade – 16 of those years as an art teacher. He has embraced the city as his new home and has no desire to leave.
“It’s easy when you’re younger to think the grass is greener on the other side, but it isn’t. I love the pace of Burlington,” he said.
Onesto only really thought of himself as an artist once he was in junior high in San Diego, Calif. Comic-con was in town, and Onesto grew up on the printed superhero adventures.
He left the comic-con with more than he ever could have imagined.
“I ended up taking a writing class from Stan Lee. Some of my first art teachers were actually professional comic book artists,” Onesto said.
That experience influenced Onesto’s art style for the rest of his life. He’s currently working on a graphic novel about Burlington and is also in the middle of writing a children’s book.
Onesto came to Iowa for college and met his future wife — a Burlington native — in Columbus Junction. He went to college on an art scholarship but discovered a love for teaching that would be more practical and fulfilling.
“I realized I was good in art, maybe not great. But I felt like I could be a great art teacher. And everything fell into place,” he said.
Onesto is a year shy of his 30th anniversary as an art teacher. He started in Fort Madison, moved to Aldo Leopold when a spot was available, and eventually became the high school art teacher.
“Everyone thinks you got to make money off of art. It’s not about making money,” he said.
Life often gets in the way of art. Over the years, Onesto has rented space to many local artists and has seen their struggles. Some create their work in the middle of the day, while others don’t feel creative until about 3 a.m.
“We had a person who left the studio and developed a drug addiction. They got into rehab and came back. This was a safe space for them,” Onesto said.
Onesto has obtained grants to spruce up the studio and stock it with necessary art supplies. Not every artist can afford to pay their way. If they have to miss a month because of a life situation, Onesto often picks up the tab.
He has also developed methods of long-term financing for struggling artists.
“Kids who can’t really afford anything, we find people who will sponsor them and pay their monthly rent. We’re more like a co-op here. We’re not looking to make a profit. We just want to make enough money to keep the doors open. That’s all that’s important,” Onesto said.
Allied Creators Studios has 11 slots for artists; roughly half are filled right now. Those interested can contact Onesto on the Allied Creators Studios Facebook page.