Mallory Stowe: seeking camaraderie.
Artists have been looking for studio spaces in Madison for years, and supply has long been scarce. While this May’s opening of Roundhouse Studios at 1741 Commercial Ave. doesn’t fill the entire gap, it is a “a fantastic step forward,” says Jolynne Roorda, co-director of the Arts + Literature Laboratory, which launched the Roundhouse Studios project.
The 15,000-square-foot facility is much more than just studio space for area artists. It’s a place where the public can come and see what Roundhouse’s 39 artists are working on, and experience eclectic live music acts hosted by Communication, the arts group that has also moved to the space.
Roorda says that the Arts + Literature Laboratory wanted to “help find a solution for the shortage of artist studios” that has continued to exist since it opened a decade ago. Madison’s lack of studio space has made it “challenging for artists to build sustainable careers and contributed to the creative brain drain to cities that have more infrastructure for emerging artists,” she says…