Hi everyone, I've got some big news to share today.
I AM OPENING A STUDIO!!!!!
There, I said it! I've been planning this for a while and am excited to finally share the news!
The studio will be at 534 North Main Street in downtown Gainesville. The building has been undergoing renovation for several months and businesses are just starting to move in. The anchor is Sanctuary Yoga, and they just moved into the center space in the building a couple of weeks ago. My studio space is the northern most space and is currently being renovated to suit. It is 2,000 square feet, and most of that space will be completely open.
I envision the studio space to be a place for my creative and business work as well as a center for the creative community here in Gainesville. This space will be available for other creatives to share their work with our community - painters, photographers, singers, dancers, and musicians alike. This will be a venue available for YOU. I also plan on setting up a small darkroom and will offer instruction on how to develop film and make photographic prints, and the darkroom will be available for use by those who have been through the instructional courses (if you are proficient in developing and printing, we can just do a quick refresher).
To extend the studio's benefit into the general community and our local creatives-in-progress, I also plan to offer a variety of courses ranging from 'Photo I' to 'Understanding Modern Art' to 'Finding Your Voice'. One-on-one courses will be available as well. So keep an eye out for some upcoming announcements about those!
Lastly, The space will also be available for rent for small events, so if you need a space for a baby or bridal shower, a gathering for your organization, or a small company party, you'll have a space to use.
As you might expect, there are a lot of moving parts to get in place to make this happen.
The largest limiting factor at this point is the process of securing the funding required to get this up and running. I am looking for about $40,000 to purchase furniture, equipment, insurance, software, signage, advertising, decor, supplies, materials for final improvements to the space, and so on and so on. I plan on launching a Kickstarter campaign shortly, but I am open to other opportunities as well (e.g., angel investors, direct support, credit unions that feel aligned to the cause, etc.). If you believe in a space like this, the best ways to support this project are:
1 - Purchase a session, a seat in a course (schedule to be announced shortly), or gift vouchers for friends and family
2 - Contribute to the Kickstarter campaign (coming soon!)
3 - Direct financial contribution
4 - Spread the word and invite others to make a purchase or contribute in another way!
If you are interested in pursuing any of these avenues, just send me a note (kristin@kozelskyphoto.com). You will receive my heartfelt thanks and possibly a few suprises as well! :)
It is my goal to be as open and candid about this process as possible because I am sure that there are others out there going through something similar. If my experience can help anyone at all, it would truly warm my heart.
Thanks for your support and I look forward to sharing the studio's progress with you!
This is a view from the back of the studio looking toward the storefront on Main Street.
The floors are covered right now because they just reworked the original hardwood floors. I happened to stop by recently while they were working on them and snapped this quick photo. I'm super excited to have these beautiful floors!
This is looking toward the back of the studio. The framing on the right will be my office (the one with the window cut outs) and the room on the left will be the darkroom (notice the 'OUT' spray painted on that wall for the ventilation duct).
The plans! Behind the darkroom and the office, there will be a storage room and a bathroom, and then the double-doors that open up toward the parking lot out back.
There is a lot still to be done, but there is progress being made!
As I continue along on this adventure, I've decided to document it all via a video series. Check out the first entry!
Spread the love! If you think this is neat, share it on the Facebooks!