The occupant of 212 is in the market for a new studio mate. The studio is 405 square feet total, and an artist who works in water-based media is looking to share it with another like-minded and low-toxicity person. The share for rent is approximately 200 square feet for $355/month (total rent is $710). The space has a big window facing the hall and high ceilings. A drop ceiling was removed in 2011, so there’s exposed ducting and a sort of industrial vibe. There is one exposed brick wall (on which it is OK to hang things, within reason) and each half has a big white wall of their own with new track and overhead lighting. The space will be available December 1.  Contact Clare if you are interested. (clare_e_johnson@yahoo.com)

Rent includes utilities & shared WIFI. The common areas include a kitchenette and break area; modern clean bathrooms; and spacious hallways which are available for tenant use for hanging art, events, installations, etc. We have historically had two cooperatively-organized open houses a year; those will resume as soon as it is safe to do so. Spontaneous collaboration has been known to occur.

The members of this community are serious about their art and supportive of other artists, and conscientious about safely sharing space during this time. We welcome all peoples and genders, and naturally expect anyone who joins us to do likewise.

Our newest Biscaynito is looking for someone to share a large space.

The studio is 530 sq ft, with excellent light, high ceilings and 3 very long walls. The building is beautiful, well cared for and is in excellent condition. I have one half of the space and am looking for someone for the other half. The price is $550 each which includes all utilities and wi-fi.  
I am looking for someone to work evenings and weekends during the pandemic. Though the space is large it would be uncomfortable to wear masks all day so I prefer working at different times for maximum safety during this time.

Please contact the tenant directly if you are interested!

It’s hard to keep up! Watch this interview on KING-5 and read more at Seattle Refined about Cristina Martinez’s intertwined life and career journeys—and how she recently raised $20,000 for Campaign Zero and New Leaders. Cristina and her awesome sprouts are always a bright spot on the third floor. Congrats!

Mari & Misbah of M & M Jewelry Studio were featured on KING-5 for their pandemic “We’ve Got This” necklace project. In true Biscayne spirit, they are donating half the proceeds from sales of the necklace to the White Center Food Bank.

Meanwhile, proprietrix Jane Richlovsky was asked by KUOW’s Marcie Sillman, “How are artists doing at this time?” Well, how long have you got? Not long, as it turned out. You can listen to the whole show here, at the top of the show, or scroll to the bottom for the Good Arts/Biscayne segment.

This June 4 marked the first time in seven years that ’57 Biscayne didn’t hold our annual 100 under $100 show. However, we do have something special planned for September 3, which will be another opportunity to collect affordable art AND support voting rights in swing states across the US this fall.

The Movement Voter Project (MVP) raises funds nationwide to support the best and most promising grassroots organizations in key swing states, with a focus on youth and communities of color. MVP vets and supports hundreds of incredible groups that fight voter suppression, get out the vote, swing elections, win on issues, and organize in their communities.

We are holding our own fundraiser for MVP this September, with sneak previews opening online in August. Fifty artists have created a delightful 8″ x 8″ square of gorgeosity, just for this show, which we will hang as a live exhibit and post to an online gallery. If you are one of the first 50 people to donate at least $100 to MVP through a secure dedicated link, you get to choose a piece of art for your collection. The whole event will happen on the interwebs, with a live event pending Safe Start Washington restrictions.

The fun part: you pick the art you like, and you won’t know who the artist is until you claim it. Here is a list of the artists, to whet your appetite:

Aidan Sakakini
Ann Marie Schneider
Barbara Robertson
Chris Crites
Chris Rollins
Clare Johnson
Daniel Carrillo
Dara Solliday
Dawn Endean
Donna Graham
Elijah Pasco
Eric Eschenbach
Erin Shigaki
Esther Ervin
George Abeyta
Grego Ratchko
Henrietta’s Eye
Jane Richlovsky
Jed Dunkerly
Jeff Scott
Jody Joldersma
Johanna Christianson
Juan Alonso Rodriguez
Julie Kim
Kamla Kakaria
Kelly Lyles
Keven Furiya
Krisna Schumann
Lindsay Peyton
LinLin Mao
Liz Ewings
Magda Baker
Marita Dingus
Matthew Potter
MD Jenkins
Michelle Kumata
Misha Zadeh Graham
Molly Magai
Pat DeCaro
Paul Nunn
Ray Monde
Richard Graham
Rickie Wolfe
Romson Bustillo
Savina Mason
Shaun Doll
Siobhan McCloskey
Sue Springer
Suze Woolf
Thomas Schwoerer

Stay tuned for more details and sneak peeks! If you aren’t already on our mailing list, scroll to the bottom of the sidebar to sign up and get first dibs.

update: This space has been rented. To stay in the loop about future openings, please join our mailing list.

We are looking to add a new Biscaynito to the community.

Studio 209 is available for rent. This lovely space is 264 square feet, with a built-in loft and work area covering just under half of that. Windows face west onto First Avenue, with plenty of streaming afternoon sunlight (weather permitting) and gallery track lighting. Rent of $570 monthly covers utilities, wifi, and shared use of common areas, which include kitchenette, clean restrooms, and opportunities to help curate and show art in the hall and lobby. We have cooperatively-organized open houses twice a year. Spontaneous collaboration has been known to occur.

Leases are one year with a month-to-month default option after that.

The members of this community are serious about their art, professional, and supportive of other artists. We welcome all peoples and genders, and naturally expect anyone who joins us to do likewise.

Come see our revamped digs, visit long-time resident artists and meet a few new ones, and, of course, make holiday shopping fun and artful, with dozens of guests lining the halls with affordable lovely one-of-a-kind items for the people on your NICE list.

We’ll be here from 5-9, and of course it’s First Thursday, so you can also cruise the neighborhood offerings and even park for free.

Elsewhere in the Good Arts Building, are the opening reception for Ourtopia in the gallery inside Cherry Street Coffee House, and more art and artful menswear at H Bailey Boutique.

Updates on who’s showing and what they’re offering on the facebook event page.

There are currently one and one half studios for rent at ’57 Biscayne.

First, the half. 212 is 405 square feet, and an artist who works in water-based media is looking to share it with another like-minded and low-toxicity person. The share for rent is approximately 200 square feet for $355 (total rent is $710). The space has a big window facing the hall and high ceilings. A drop ceiling was removed in 2011, so there’s exposed ducting and a sort of industrial vibe. It is awaiting minor restoration (e.g., floor paint) and some lighting upgrades; it will be available November 1.  Contact Clare if you are interested. (clare_e_johnson@yahoo.com)

And the one: The big, beautiful 312 is for rent in its entirety. It is 735 square feet and rents for $1600/month. The studio has decent heat/AC. If you wanted to install ventilation, the infrastructure is there. There is 220v power. Other possible upgrades could be negotiated for the right long-term tenant. It would make a great shared maker space, photo studio, print shop, or gallery (it’s on the third floor, but the building is open to the public during the day).

Contact Jane, the proprietrix, and we’ll talk!

Some time in the wee hours of Sunday, August 25, a water filter in a third-floor darkroom broke a seal and flooded our building, the Good Arts Building, all the way down to the basement. Miraculously, no art was harmed. Several studios were rendered temporarily unusable, but the majority of the damage occurred on the lower floors. (Our downstairs neighbors,  H.Bailey Boutique and Sew Generously Bespoke have reopened, and Bad Bishop Bar will be open soon after extensive repairs to their kitchen.) The artists of ’57 Biscayne have been plugging along with dehumidifiers buzzing, and every day it seems they cut a new hole in a wall or floor to dry things out. The silver lining is that we will get a bit of a decorative refresh once the insurance kicks in and we can replace the walls, carpet, and flooring which were removed.

In the meantime, a few artists are moving on (for unrelated reasons), and we will have some space available in November. Studios 212 and 312 are both interior spaces; 312 has natural light in the form of a gigantic, gorgeous skylight. Each studio has an occupant looking for a studiomate. Both spaces had been in the path of the flood; they are awaiting some restoration work which should be completed by November if not sooner; both available for occupancy November 1.

312 is occupied by a tidy painter who is looking for one studio mate to take the half of the space with the skylight. The entire room is 735 square feet; the share for rent is approximately half, or 367 square feet, for $800/month. The studio has decent heat/AC. If you wanted to install ventilation, the infrastructure is there, but non-toxic or low-tox media are preferred. Contact Anastasia (mailtogres@gmail.com) to see the space and have a chat to see if it’s right for you both.

212 has been occupied by only two tenants since ’57 Biscayne started in 2011. It was in the path of the recent deluge, causing the current tenant to pile his many belongings in a heap, consequently there are no decent photos of it. It’s 405 square feet, and an artist who works in water-based media is looking to share it with another like-minded and low-toxicity person. The share for rent is approximately 200 square feet for $355. The space has a big window facing the hall and high ceilings. A drop ceiling was removed in 2011, so there’s exposed ducting and a sort of industrial vibe. It is awaiting minor restoration and some lighting upgrades; it too will be available November 1.  Contact Clare if you are interested. (clare_e_johnson@yahoo.com)

Note: ’57 Biscayne is dog-friendly in general, but the two people looking to share 212 and 312 require their spaces to be pet-free.

But wait, there’s more! Another space, in its entirety, will be available December 1. The lovely 313 makes an excellent photo studio, but it could also be a fantastic print shop, painting studio, wood shop, or perhaps a share of some sort since it has two rooms plus an L-shaped nook. It’s another skylit studio, plus an interior room with a door and plumbing. It also venting to the outside and a 220-volt plug. And incredibly high ceilings. It is 635 square feet and rents for $1400/month. You can contact the proprietrix directly about this one.

This photo is from last year – the whole thing is painted white.

All rents include utilities. Leases are usually one year with a month-to-month default option after that. The shared common areas include a kitchenette and break areas; modern clean bathrooms; and spacious hallways which are available for tenant use for hanging art, events, installations, etc. We have cooperatively-organized open houses twice a year. Spontaneous collaboration has been known to occur.

The members of this community are both serious about their art and supportive of other artists. We welcome all peoples and genders, and naturally expect anyone who joins us to do likewise.

With an architecture background and an education from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Richard Graham began his painting career later in life. Only upon retiring eight years ago did Graham start painting. “I don’t have any real art training, but as an architect, I was involved in arts a lot.” As a designer and colorist, Richard has always had a feel for 2D works. “I was designing a restaurant for a friend who had some crappy artwork on the walls and I thought, ‘I could probably do something better than that’ ”, and so began his painting career within a Miami garage.

Born in Philly and raised in New Jersey, Graham has bounced from city to city, most recently settling in Portland before relocating to Seattle just a year and a half ago. Ages ago when he had his eye on Seattle, the downtown area wasn’t yet liveable. Graham acknowledges how Seattle has really come into its own over the past ten years. He came for the hustle and bustle and stays for the music and art scene.

Although once settled in a now defunct studio under the I5 bridge, ‘57 Biscayne was too good of a counter offer for Graham to pass up. The location in Pioneer Square brings exposure to his work and is closer to that city energy he craves. What sets ‘57 Biscayne apart from the rest is truly its founder, Jane Richlovsky.

“Studios tend to be that way; they’re all kind of bottled up unless you force us to gather around, which Jane is good at making us do. I always leave my door open, I want people to walk in.” Richard is still in the process of getting to know the community, but so far greatly appreciates talking with fellow abstract artists in the building.

When I identify rigidity and structure contrasting loose twirls within his work, Richard counters: “I don’t do architectural pieces. I think that happens in the arts, you try to get away from what you’re familiar with. That’s the great thing about panting; for the first time, I didn’t have to please anybody but me.”

As far as technique, Richard treats acrylics almost like watercolor. By thinning the paint down, he pours the mixture around the canvas, letting gravity take its course. When he paints, Graham oscillates between working on canvases on the wall, up on an easel, or on the table; depending on the day. Inspired by Jackson Pollock, Graham believes that each drip of paint was Pollock’s soul coming out in art form. “That’s the trick with painting, you willingly give up all control; that’s so free. You let the paint do its thing.”

We paw through canvases as if digging through crates of vinyl records. Richard points out one of his very first paintings, hanging on the wall behind the stacks. “I haven’t progressed much!”, he laughs, pointing out the shape of a face among the organic pushing and pulling of paint in various forms of liquidity.

When the subject of cost came up, Richard explains, “People love that they can buy a huge painting for $300, $500.” However, galleries have encouraged him to up prices near $3,000. “I think the art market is so distorted by ‘high art’ to collectors who aren’t necessarily interested in art, but are interested in investments. It’s like buying stock, it’s crazy!” He believes local people who like art shouldn’t have to spend thousands of dollars on it.

“I’m painting for myself. I’m painting for me. And I don’t really care if anyone else likes it or not.”

For a great conversation on music or the state of the world, you can find Richard in his studio, with the door always open.