D.C. Artists Strike Deal To Open Affordable Studio Space In Northeast

WAMU

By Mikaela Lefrak | October 21, 2019

At first glance, Randolph Place Northeast doesn’t seem like it has much going on. An uneven sidewalk is lined with a few rowhouses, a nonprofit bike shop and an empty-looking warehouse.

But there’s one two-story brick building at the end of the street that seems like it dropped in from a more prosperous future. Its fresh coat of gray-blue paint, newly-installed windows and glass doors contrast starkly with its surroundings. Three prominent D.C. artists — Tim Doud, Linn Meyers and Caitlin Teal Price — greet me at the door.

For the past two years, the trio has been working to convert this century-old building into studios and an exhibit space for local artists, called STABLE. The building used to be a horse stable for the Nabisco cookie company, and the evidence is still there: a hay pulley here, an early 20th-century wooden beam there.

Minor architectural oddities aside, STABLE is a space in which most artists would dream of working. It has 21 individual studios, an exhibit space, a shared kitchen and lounge area and a WeWork-style space that eight creatives currently share. The nonprofit’s co-founders said they received about 150 applications for 24 studio slots (some of the 21 studios are shared by two artists).

“It’s been really wonderful to be in such close proximity to so many amazing artists. It feels like school — I’ve learned so much every single day,” said Mojdeh Rezaeipour, who pays less than $300 for her second-floor studio. (Artists pay by the square foot, and her studio is on the smaller side.) She said she almost didn’t apply to STABLE because she didn’t think she could afford a newly remodeled studio in D.C.

D.C. has a vibrant arts scene, but artists here often struggle to find affordable spaces to work. There are only a few buildings devoted to artist studios in the area, including 52 O Street Studios in Truxton Circle, DC Arts Studios in Takoma and Red Dirt Studio in Mt. Rainier, Maryland.

By contrast, New York has a vast network of artists, galleries and museums, and other cities like Baltimore and Richmond have cheaper rent and plentiful warehouse space that can be easily converted into studios. Up-and-coming D.C. artists often work out of their houses or suburban studios to save money, which can make it harder for them to connect with fellow artists.

“Partially because of the architecture of the city, we were invisible,” Meyers said.

Co-founders Linn Meyers, Caitlin Teal Price and Tim Doud stand in STABLE’s gallery space.Mikaela Lefrak / WAMU

STABLE’s co-founders began working on their idea for an affordable artist space nearly five years ago. The project gained momentum in the fall of 2017, when the real estate developer Boundary Companies purchased the 12,000-square foot building for about $5.5 million. The company made the STABLE founders a tantalizing deal: It would pay to renovate the building to the artists’ specifications if they could raise $250,000 to launch the nonprofit. They raised the money and were granted a 10-year lease at a below-market rate, which is how STABLE’s co-founders said they can offer artists a more affordable workspace.

“It speaks to the faith that the developers had in us because we don’t have any track record,” said Price.

“This is a repeatable model,” Doud added. “Often people haven’t really understood how to work with developers, and we actually did it.” He said that Boundary is also developing two apartment complexes nearby.

Developers often use trendy, vibrant artist spaces like STABLE as a way to attract residents to underutilized areas, but that can also mean that artists find themselves on the front lines of gentrification.

“I love it here. I come here and it feels like my space,” said Shaunté Gates, STABLE’s first artist-in-residence. He grew up in the area and still lives nearby. He thinks a community like STABLE, one that supports locals, has been long overdue in his neighborhood — and it directly supports locals like him.

“It’s been wonderful having a space outside of home to come and work, especially because I have a family now. It’s just helpful for the whole family,” he said.

So for now, things are looking up. But even though STABLE is just getting started, its founders are already thinking about where to go after their 10-year lease expires. It’s D.C. after all, and in a decade, who knows what the rent here will be.