In keeping with our mission of making more affordable space creative entrepreneurs of all stripes, we recently renovated our third floor into art studios. Creative work space being at a premium in this town, it took about five minutes for eleven of them to get snatched up. The largest one is still available, and we’re looking for the perfect anchor tenant for this buzzing hive of activity.

It would make a perfect printmaking, photography, or other shared workshop space. Thinking of starting or moving such a venture? Here are some of the many advantages to locating your fabulous maker space in the Good Arts Building:

 

Stability: ’57 Biscayne studios, which occupy the upper floors, encompass an established community of artists.The building, since 2015, has been owned by a partnership that includes artists, and which is committed to providing space to creative tenants as affordably as possible.

 

Location: Centrally located; convenient to buses, light rail, ferries. It’s on the route of the Pioneer Square Art Walk, the oldest one in the country. First-floor retail & restaurants in the building attract foot traffic, from tourists to techies.

 

Community: This is the big one. ’57 Biscayne was founded in 2011 by a group of displaced artists in a tight spot, who found that working together was the best way to survive. Today, twenty-eight studios host a mix of fine, applied, and commercial artists and artisans, young and established, who share ideas, tips, techniques, and business savvy, to their mutual benefit. Collaborative teams have been born here.

 

Vision: In a changing art business landscape, where galleries frequently close and cannot be counted on to support artists financially, an artist-run enterprise that puts artists first is the only way we stand a chance. The Good Arts Building has strong ties to the larger community—tech firms, developers, architects, charitable non-profits—and we’re not afraid to use them to develop new markets and come up with innovative ways for people to purchase art. The Good Arts partners have placed their money, time, and reputations toward keeping the creative class centrally located and thriving in the twenty-first century. And we’re only getting started. (Up next: a theatre in the basement!)

 

Perks of being artist-run: Proper utility sinks, natural (skylights!!) and gallery lighting, and other details that artists know you need. Artists’ schedules are welcome. As are dogs. A lovely hallway gallery for exhibits. A parklet is coming to the Cherry Street side of the building that is a great blank slate for art events, mini-classes, installations, urban gardening, or just hanging out. An Air B&B space is in the works on the property; special rates will be available to tenants’ clients, friends, & family.

 

Visibility: Because of the uniqueness of our vision, the timeliness of our mission, and the unusual nature of the collaboration between an artist and developer (natural enemies in the wild), we’ve received our share of attention in the press. Reporters who have written about us continue to follow and keep in touch, to see where this great experiment will lead.

Photos and other info about the space are on the ’57 Biscayne blog.