Meraki Spaces in Pacific Beach showcases artists and cultivates creative environments

Local artist Reyanne Mustafa used cigarettes unveiled on Pacific Beach and repurposed them into art Photo by Noah Perkins Special for Beach Bay Press PACIFIC BEACH On the long-vacant second floor of a -year-old former pharmacy at Cass St in Pacific Beach a fine artist a vintage designer and a ceramicist came together with a shared vision and from that collaboration Meraki Spaces was created PB doesn t have anything like this Melissa Medina the fine artist reported It s something that needed to happen and the public is responding so well Opened in December Meraki Spaces is a membership-based collective workspace that showcases local art and cultivates a community-centered surroundings for artists DJs photographers and other creatives The workspace includes four rooms the lab the studio the lounge and a photography space spanning more than square feet The photography space was in recent days used for an independent movie shoot This building is special compared to a lot of others in San Diego commented Darbe Canady the vintage designer It has the trim the crown molding and that historical charm At this moment Meraki Spaces has members We ve had steady improvement explained Kahla Lauinger the ceramicist Searching for studio space Medina became the first tenant on the floor in followed by Canady a limited weeks later I was just looking for an art studio Medina reported I tried to find something in PB and there was nothing I thought I can make it work From left Darbe Canady Melissa Medina and Kahla Lauinger stand in Meraki Spaces a membership-based collective workspace that showcases local art and cultivates a community-centered milieu Photo by Noah Perkins Special for Beach Bay Press I moved here from Chicago and demanded a building with the history and charm this one has Canady added A November remodel transformed the second floor from what Medina and Canady described as a lonely quiet sad space into a hidden oasis of natural light white walls and local art where retro doors open onto new ideas The structure was here but there were no businesses no people Canady reported It was just Melissa and me for two years Now it s almost impossible to create like we did before doors are open and artists are flowing in and out all day I started seeing realtors tour insurance brokers through the space Medina mentioned We desired to keep it creatively aligned PB doesn t have this We felt like we owed it to the region With prior experience managing a creative co-working space Lauinger joined the association and in November the trio began working to launch the business We perfectly put everything on pause in our businesses Medina disclosed And our personal lives Lauinger added with a laugh We were here from sunup past sundown Medina noted Hauling furniture for a month straight It was all hands on deck Membership includes a monthly hour s bank total hours depending on membership tier and managed through a booking app as well as monthly events hosted at the space We do a big networking event monthly Lauinger explained Then we have a field where people can shop from our artists We also hold smaller members-only events so the society can connect more personally Membership gives access to the space but a great number of people come for the society aspect Medina added Meraki Spaces takes no percentage unlike numerous galleries that take a large commission from resident artists sales One of the perks of being a member is your art gets hung on the wall Canady announced We coordinate cool art events to get exposure and we don t take any sales cut which is uncommon in the industry The founders are also working to launch a nonprofit arm for scholarships and a future residency effort We have complimentary memberships for people from underrepresented communities Canady reported We re also engaged in an internship activity with SDSU We want to offer residencies where an artist stays for three to six months creating for the district with the cost subsidized by grants Barricades to entry into the art world they say need to come down We re passionate about making things easier for artists Canady disclosed So they have more confidence and a safety net to build businesses from their passions The journey of an artist can be so lonely Medina added