With all types of property in St. Petersburg getting harder and harder to come by, a new project is providing local artists unique opportunities for affordable studio space. Tyrone Square Mall has partnered with a company named Zero Empty Spaces to create studio spaces for local artists to create, house and showcase their work.

The innovative new studios, which take advantage of otherwise-empty spaces, began leasing to artists back in April, and now the concept is ready for its grand opening to showcase the resident artists and their work. The ceremony takes place this Saturday, July 30, from 5-8 pm, featuring a ribbon cutting at 6, tours of the studios, refreshments, and light bites. Zero Empty Spaces is located in the Dillards wing of Tyrone Square Mall at 6901 22nd Avenue North.

Zero Empty Spaces is a studio and vacancy management company that creates affordable artist studios in vacant spaces around the country where artists can create and collaborate at an affordable price. The company said prices for studios at Tyrone Square average around $250 per month for 100 square feet, which includes electricity and water.

Supporting artists through community engagement

Zero Empty Spaces got its start in Miami as a way to not only help provide artists affordable workspaces, but to connect them to their communities by taking advantage of otherwise vacant areas. The studios will be open to the public during the mall’s operating hours, offering visibility for the artists while also helping the mall fill space it otherwise wasn’t using.

The goal of the project, ZES said, is to create a thriving cultural community.

“From street-level and in-mall storefronts to warehouses, we activate vacant spaces and fill them with artists that utilize them as working studios, which in-turn increases activity and walkability to otherwise slow and inactive areas,” the ZES website says.

“Zero Empty Spaces (ZES) studio spaces are rented on a month-to-month basis and include all utilities starting at $2.50 / sq ft. Studio / Space (depending on state and city) with sizes ranging from 60 sq ft – 300 sq ft and are accessible 24hrs a day, 7 days a week (unless otherwise stipulated).

“The artist studios bolster the surrounding local businesses through the increased flow of visitors that these exhibitions attract and the exhibitions, open studios, panel discussions, music performances, and programming are free and accessible to everyone.”

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