Meraki Spaces in Pacific Beach showcases artists and cultivates creative environments

Local artist Reyanne Mustafa used cigarettes detected 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 noted It s something that needed to happen and the society is responding so well Opened in December Meraki Spaces is a membership-based collective workspace that showcases local art and cultivates a community-centered setting 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 of late used for an independent movie shoot This building is special compared to a lot of others in San Diego disclosed Darbe Canady the vintage designer It has the trim the crown molding and that historical charm Right now Meraki Spaces has members We ve had steady enhancement explained Kahla Lauinger the ceramicist Searching for studio space Medina became the first tenant on the floor in followed by Canady a inadequate weeks later I was just looking for an art studio Medina stated 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 surroundings Photo by Noah Perkins Special for Beach Bay Press I moved here from Chicago and sought 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 mentioned 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 announced We desired to keep it creatively aligned PB doesn t have this We felt like we owed it to the public With prior experience managing a creative co-working space Lauinger joined the crew and in November the trio began working to launch the business We thoroughly put everything on pause in our businesses Medina declared And our personal lives Lauinger added with a laugh We were here from sunup past sundown Medina declared 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 stated Then we have a industry where people can shop from our artists We also hold smaller members-only events so the locality can connect more personally Membership gives access to the space but various people come for the society aspect Medina added Meraki Spaces takes no percentage unlike multiple 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 revealed 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 undertaking We have complimentary memberships for people from underrepresented communities Canady revealed We re also engaged in an internship effort with SDSU We want to offer residencies where an artist stays for three to six months creating for the population with the cost subsidized by grants Hindrances to entry into the art world they say need to come down We re passionate about making things easier for artists Canady stated 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