Art... art... and more art!
Courtesy Zero Empty Spaces
Forty working artists, 17,000 square feet and a very good reason to look beyond the usual gallery walls, anyone? It’s here.
Zero Empty Spaces celebrated the grand opening of its expanded studio community at Dania Beach’s Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) on Saturday, October 10. Growing from approximately 9,000 square feet, the DCOTA flagship is now Broward County’s largest artist studio space, according to the organization.
Find it at 1855 Griffin Road, Suite B124, in Atrium B. Inside, affordable studios put local artists within reach of the designers, architects and showroom shoppers who could commission their next painting... or introduce them to their next collector.
“It’s been really interesting to see some commissions come out of [this model] for artists,” co-founder Evan Snow told Browardist.
That proximity is the big draw. Someone shopping for a client’s home, office or yacht can discover original artwork and meet its creator in the same destination.
Collaborations have already included Sherwin-Williams, while artists have connected with DCOTA’s seasonal markets and professional education events.
Co-founder Andrew Martineau said the opening brought sales and new collector connections. “And we’re just facilitating the opportunity,” he said.
The model has traveled considerably since its 2019 launch on Las Olas Boulevard. Zero Empty Spaces has activated 35 locations across six states, welcoming over 1,000 artists and creative entrepreneurs. Its current tri-county footprint includes DCOTA, Gulfstream Park and Boca Raton Innovation Campus; other locations include Jensen Beach, St. Petersburg, Richmond, Va., Minneapolis, Minn. and Berkeley, Calif.
Next comes continued expansion nationwide and beyond, with a broader mix of creatives and small businesses testing retail concepts through month-to-month space.
“It’s becoming more of a retail marketplace, a retail incubator,” Snow said.
Want to see the Dania Beach studios yourself? Three upcoming free events offer an easy introduction.
On Friday, October 16, CreativeZen Talks welcomes Tino Negri for conversation and guided meditation. Doors open at 8:30 a.m.; the talk runs from 9 to 10 a.m. You can return that afternoon for Open Studios, from 4 to 7 p.m., to meet artists and browse original work. That gathering repeats every third Friday.
On Friday, November 13, attorney Jessica Shraybman of Shraybman Law leads “AI & the Creative Career” from 11 a.m. to noon, covering creative uses, intellectual property and protecting original work. Free business workshops also tackle marketing, financing and entrepreneurship.
A Broward event for Miami Art Week is in the works, with details forthcoming. Until then, there’s plenty to discover behind these newly opened doors.
