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250 ArT Toy Newsletters: The Story Behind Them
250 ArT Toy Newsletters, three weekly emails, five co-founders, one studio near Bilbao, and the curiosity that keeps us writing. ArT Toy Gama Newsletter #251
ART TOY NEWSLETTERART TOY GAMA INSIDE
Sergio Pampliega Campo & Cristina A. del Chicca
250 newsletters, three emails a week, a workshop near Bilbao, and a curiosity that refuses to behave.
A little confession before we begin.
This is Newsletter #251. Yes, we know. We're celebrating the 250 that came before it. Our timing has always been a little peculiar.
To mark the milestone, we imagined someone sitting down with us and asking the questions you might ask if you visited our studio.
The conversation is fictional. The people, places, dates, and everyday chaos behind it are real.
We first shared it on Instagram and our other online spaces. But it felt wrong not to bring it here, to the inbox where so much of this story has unfolded.
So, here we go.
...
“Wait… you've really written 250 ArT Toy Newsletters?”
“Apparently. We counted twice.”
“When did this madness begin?”
“We sent a few emails in January 2025. The regular series started on March 18.”
“And you've been doing this every week?”
“Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Three times a week.”
“Three? Don't you run out of things to say?”
“Not yet. ArT Toys have a habit of appearing where you least expect them.”
“Where, exactly?”
“Newspapers, magazines, exhibitions, conversations with artists, things we read, things people tell us. Sometimes a completely unrelated story makes us think about collecting.”
“And you turn that into a newsletter?”
“We try. The trick is finding a connection worth sharing, not just forcing ArT Toys into every subject.”
“How long does one take to read?”
“About three minutes.”
“Three minutes to talk about toys?”
“Three minutes to talk about artists, collectors, galleries, shops, curators, exhibitions, and the strange little world connecting them.”
“Fair enough. Who's behind all this?”
“Day to day, Sergio and Cristina.”
“Just you two?”
“Not quite. Art Toy Gama began in 2014 as a collective founded by five people: Cristina, Sergio, and Judas Arrieta in Spain; Iván from Artefacto in Colombia; and Antu from El Arte del Juguete in Chile.”
“So the story started across three countries?”
“Exactly. And we're still learning from artists, brands, collectors, and friends around the world.”
“Where are you writing from?”
“Our studio-workshop-gallery near Bilbao.”
“All three in one place?”
“Plus the occasional dining room.”
“You eat in the gallery?”
“Of course. Although we try not to confuse lunch with whatever ArT Toy is drying on the worktable.”
“What does the place look like?”
“It's 180 square metres, spread across two floors. There are books, specialist magazines, computers, worktables, pieces being created or repaired, exhibition spaces, storage… and somewhere to sit down when we remember we have legs.”
“Sounds like a second home.”
“It is. We spend so much time here that calling it a workplace feels a little inaccurate.”
“Have you always had this much space?”
“Oh, absolutely not.”
“How small was the old place?”
“Less than 20 square metres. For ten years.”
“Ten years?”
“Cristina somehow made every centimetre useful. It had lovely big windows, though. Before that, we worked somewhere even smaller, with almost no natural light.”
“And now?”
“We moved here in February 2024. The building used to be a carpentry workshop for more than thirty years. Now daylight comes through a huge opening in the roof.”
“Quite a change.”
“Different tools, different materials. Still plenty of dust.”
“Does working there influence what you write?”
“More than we probably realise. Artists visit. Neighbours stop by. Things go wrong. Things go surprisingly right. A conversation over coffee can end up becoming an idea for Sunday.”
“And you write everything in English?”
“Eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“We think in Spanish and then translate. Sometimes the English comes out wearing a suit and tie when we're actually sitting here in old T-shirts.”
“Why not just write in Spanish?”
“Because we want the conversation to travel. And knowing people read us in different parts of the world makes the effort worthwhile.”
“Do people actually enjoy getting three emails a week?”
“Some do. They write to us, share ideas, or tell us something made them think.”
“And the others?”
“They unsubscribe.”
“Does that bother you?”
“For about four seconds.”
“Only four?”
“We unsubscribe from newsletters too. Maybe it's the timing, maybe the subject, maybe someone's inbox has finally declared independence. We understand.”
“And if they come back?”
“We'll be here. No awkward questions.”
“Where else can people find you?”
“On Instagram, where we share photographs, reflections, news, and bits of everyday studio life. We're in other online spaces too. And there's always arttoygama.com.”
“So after 250 newsletters, what's the point of all this?”
“That's a dangerous question.”
“Go on.”
“We'd love it if, after reading one of our emails, you looked at an ArT Toy you already own and noticed something new.”
“That's a lot to expect from three minutes.”
“Maybe. But small objects have a strange ability to occupy enormous spaces in your head.”
“And what happens after Newsletter #250?”
“Well, you're reading #251.”
“So you're not stopping?”
“Not while we're still curious.”
“And are you?”
“Unfortunately for our free time, very much so.”
And that's a little of the world behind these emails.
Not a grand anniversary speech. Just two people in a former carpentry workshop near Bilbao, surrounded by ArT Toys, books, unfinished projects, and probably a coffee that's gone cold.
Of course, none of this would be much of a conversation without you on the other side.
Whether you've read all 250 newsletters, discovered us last week, or occasionally open one when the subject catches your eye, we're glad you're here.
And now we're curious about something else.
If you could sit down with us in the studio and ask one question, what would it be?
You can keep exploring the stories, artists, and ideas behind the ArT Toy Movement on our BLOG, or visit our SHOP to discover ArT Toys, Fine Art Prints, and Paintings.
Here's to the next conversation.
We have no idea where it will take us.
That's probably why we keep writing.
📍 Join the First and Only Art Toy Newsletter Society in the World here: https://arttoygama.com/
This email was originally sent to the Newsletter subscriber list on October 22,2026
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