On a hot August night, a crowd mingles at what looks like a typical office complex on Jefferson Highway. Inside, though, you won’t find the usual business offices, but the studio spaces of more than 40 local artists.
This is N the Art Space, which held its public reopening on that late summer evening. The artists opened up their studios to let the public explore their works and learn about art classes.
Throughout the event, art spilled out to the building’s courtyard and parking lot.
The artists who call N the Art Space theirs range in media, age and background, but share a common bond of immense passion for art. The space has given its artists a place to work and concentrate, as well as an opportunity to thrive as part of a small circle of creatives on a busy stretch of Jefferson.
N the Art Space director Mark Biletnikoff started the studio community in 2005. After opening his own exhibit space in the Bocage area, he says, other artists began asking his advice about how they could get studios of their own. He decided to open a space for other artists near his building and eventually moved N the Art Space to the current location in 2010 due to high demand and a need for more square footage.
“It was a leap of faith, for sure,” Biletnikoff says. “After that, it just seemed like every year there was more and more interest, and I felt compelled to fuel the fire. It was just so needed.”
Beyond having access to studios, artists are also able to show their work in open houses, which are typically held two to three times a year. Some were put on hold earlier this year as the complex’s exterior underwent renovations. With the construction work finally finished, Biletnikoff says he tried to make the re-opening event in August something like never before, including inviting local businesses, guest artists and art students to join in the fun.
Lana Bernard-Toniolo rents studio space in the building and showed her paintings at the open house. She says she spent most of her adult life believing she was bad at art, and ran a retail clothing store instead. But after trying an art class, she found her passion and has been painting ever since. As people wandered into her studio, she beamed with pride, explaining the technique and inspiration for her vibrant floral pieces.
“This has been a great space to show my work,” she says. “I am always happy to get my art on the wall for the public to see.”
Greg Hebert, a full-time home remodeler who creates handmade chopsticks and sushi boards out of spare wood, was participating as a guest artist at the event. He says what began as a something fun to do with excess materials turned into a real passion.
But as much as N the Art Space is about the artists themselves, it’s also very much about the community that surrounds them.
Shantel Richard, who creates bath and body products, has been a part of the N the Art Space community for the last year. She says what excited her about the open house most was the families who attended.
“I think this is important because kids—and really all people—are able to understand how … this is a hub of art and beauty,” she says. “I think if people continue to come out, then this could evolve into something even bigger.”
Find N the Art Space at 7809 Jefferson Highway, Suites B3, C1 and G, and at ntheartspace.net.
This article was originally published in the November 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.
