Lexi Garcia
Editorial Assistant

In the coming weeks, a new building will be reopening in Northeast where local artists can rent out an affordable space where they can come together at 1328 Agnes Ave.

Paul Migliazzo, owner of the building, started this about 15 years ago in the Crossroads district on 16th and Oak, where he opened up a print shop and let friends rent space on the second floor that he wasn’t using.

“We were like, ‘Yeah, go ahead, put your stuff up there and practice once a week,’ then another guy came in and said ‘Hey, I’d love to have some studio space.’ So we said, ‘Sure, go ahead,’ and that just kind of evolved from that, it was very organic,” Migliazzo said.

Migliazzo sold the Crossroads building and used those proceeds to buy the current building that was formerly a police department training facility.
“We found a building in need of a lot of attention in an area that’s not far from downtown that I think lends itself well to what we’re trying to do,” Migliazzo said.

Within the building Migliazzo is planning to add 21 studios including an art gallery, kitchen area, meeting space and artist centrics for artists to congregate.

“It really helps to open new doors, for me personally, because I like to be around other like-minded individuals, but also it just kind of provides an opportunity to kind of give into the artist collective, it creates a spark that I kind of look for and make new work.”

The studios range from small cubicles to 500-square-foot rooms. If well received, he plans on opening up a different building in a different location and expanding the current one.

“I feel like it’s going to bring a lot more opportunities to be able to connect with your neighborhood,” said Jorge Garcia Almodóvar, a current tennant in the Agnes building.

Garcia first heard about this project back in November of last year when he rented out a space for his construction piece at the 16th and Oak location.

“It turned out to be a good experience because being around other artists really helped my creative energy,” Garcia said. “I used to rent studios only on a per project basis and was doing a lot of public art, so whenever I needed a studio, I would rent one for however long we’re going to have a project and move on.”

The application process has mostly been through word of mouth.

“We’re going to try and extend our reach a little bit and open it up to a broader range of artists, visual artists and performing artists,” Migliazzo said.

Even if you don’t want to rent out a space, you can still be a part of the Agnes community by going and meeting artists there to share ideas or just hang out.

To rent out a space or for more information go to: https://www.agnesarts.org/contact-us