Zero Empty Spaces has turned the former Half Price Books storefront on Shattuck Avenue into a mix of artist workspaces and a retail marketplace. After the store sat empty for months, the organization divided the space into small studios where artists pay around $550 a month to make and sell their work. Its opening event included a ribbon-cutting, a pop-up exhibition and a musical performance; the group calls the Berkeley site its 35th location nationwide.
The Berkeley spot marks Zero Empty Spaces’ first retail arts marketplace, a shift from the studio-only model the organization has run elsewhere, according to Daily Cal. Evan Snow, the organization’s cofounder and managing partner, said the company divides large commercial properties into micro-retail spaces of 96 to 144 square feet, according to Snow. He described the operation as evolving into co-retailing hubs, retail incubators and retail marketplaces meant to serve creatives beyond painters and visual artists. Zero Empty Spaces is a national initiative based in South Florida that turns vacant real estate into affordable artist studios, and it was founded in 2019.
Rent and retail support
At the Berkeley site, rent includes utilities, insurance and internet, as well as marketing support, career development help and workshops on financial literacy, contract law and intellectual property. Zero Empty Spaces takes no commission on artists’ sales. Snow said the arrangement gives artists a store without requiring them to shoulder its operation alone.
Artists can rent studio space, display and sell work in the marketplace and take part in showcases. The open-concept layout differs from the private studios Zero Empty Spaces has used elsewhere, and some artists said that shared setup was a draw.
Working in a shared space
Sonoma County sculptor Paige Pedri said the shared space lets artists observe and learn from one another. San Francisco-based artist Jenny Situ described the open layout as a refreshing change that makes the studios feel communal rather than divided into separate rooms…