Zero Empty Spaces opens artist studio in former Downtown Berkeley location of Half Price Books | Local Businesses

Zero Empty Spaces held a grand opening Saturday for its 35th location at the former site of Half Price Books on Shattuck Avenue.

Founded in 2019 and based in South Florida, Zero Empty Spaces is a national initiative that revitalizes vacant real estate into affordable studios for artists.

The grand opening featured a ribbon-cutting and a pop-up exhibition of local artists, spotlighting a variety of artistic mediums along with a musical performance.

Its new Downtown Berkeley location marks Zero Empty Spaces’ first retail arts marketplace, where artists can sell their art while also taking part in showcases.

“We’re now evolving into more co-retailing hubs, retail incubators and now retail marketplaces to provide space for more creatives than just visual artists and painters,” said Evan Snow, cofounder and managing partner of Zero Empty Spaces.

Zero Empty Spaces divides large commercial properties into “micro-retail spaces” ranging from 96 to 144 square feet, according to Snow. Artists renting these spaces in Berkeley pay a monthly rate of about $550, which covers utility fees, insurance and internet.

Rent also includes marketing, career development support and workshops that cover financial literacy, contract law and intellectual property. Zero Empty Spaces does not charge its artists any commission fees.

“They basically get to have a store without having the burden of the store fall just on them,” Snow said.

The new Downtown location features artist’s studios for rent in addition to a marketplace where artists can display and sell their work.

Longtime Berkeley resident Dan Bach, a retired math teacher and artist, applied to show his mathematics-inspired art and geometric prints at the opening showcase on Saturday, alongside other artists. He is enthusiastic about the space being open to the public, and said “the more, the better” in regard to viewers coming to appreciate his work.

“My goal is to get people to stop and say, ‘Oh, that looks cool. That’s math? How’s that math?’ And then I get to explain it,” Bach said. “I miss teaching, so it’s fun to come here and explain the math to people.”

The open concept layout of Zero Empty Spaces Berkeley, unlike private studio spaces, has also been a point of appreciation for artists.

“It’s very productive for artists to be in relationship with each other and to be able to talk with each other and watch each other work,” said Paige Pedri, a sculptor from Sonoma County. “You really can feed off of each other in that way … I love it.”

Jenny Situ, a San Francisco-based artist, said she finds it “new and refreshing” to have an open space where she’s able to communicate with other artists, saying the studios feel “like a community.”

Supported by partners such as Visit Berkeley and the Downtown Berkeley Association, Zero Empty Spaces hopes to boost foot traffic Downtown and support small businesses and artists.

“Our tagline is, ‘we’re unlocking closed doors to create new opportunities,’” Snow said. “This is a way to get more people Downtown, shopping, supporting local artists, supporting local small businesses, supporting local creatives.”