{"id":132773,"date":"2026-02-13T18:55:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/132773\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T18:55:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T18:55:43","slug":"mickalene-thomas-on-turning-an-auto-garage-into-her-new-creative-headquarters-in-conversation-with-whoopi-goldberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/132773\/","title":{"rendered":"Mickalene Thomas on Turning an Auto Garage Into Her New Creative Headquarters, In Conversation With Whoopi Goldberg"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2022, after decades of working in studios that were either too bright or too dark, Mickalene Thomas finally found a place that answered her Goldilocks-esque conundrum: a two-story mechanic\u2019s garage in her neighborhood (Fort Greene, Brooklyn) that was just right. She set out to create one of her finest masterpieces yet. As she does in her diverse multidimensional works, the artist\u2014whose work celebrates Black women and culture through painting, photography, and collage\u2014envisioned a catch-all: a community-driven space with a gallery, a wet room for silkscreening, and entertaining space. During the three-year renovation, Thomas also focused on her touring monographic exhibition, \u201cAll About Love,\u201d which is currently on view at the Grand Palais in Paris\u2014Thomas is the first African-American artist to have a solo show at the French museum. Her prolific output and achievements have not gone unnoticed by friend, actor, and television personality Whoopi Goldberg, who checks in with her here for Elle Decor.<\/p>\n

\"ArtKennedi Carter<\/p>\n

The main production space on the first floor, with artworks by Mickalene Thomas.<\/p>\n

Whoopi Goldberg: This is an honor. Your work makes me feel stuff. How does it feel, showing at the Grand Palais? <\/p>\n

Mickalene Thomas: When I walked in, I just teared up. I\u2019ve received so many texts and DMs that said, \u201cDo you know you\u2019re plastered all over Paris?\u201d This institution is showing up. To me, this is just the beginning.<\/p>\n

WG: Where does your fight to get your work out come from?<\/p>\n

MT: I come from a long line of incredible matriarchs who always fought to do the right thing. My mother worked and struggled, so I know what it takes to get things done. I have a mission and a vision, and nothing is going to get in my way.<\/p>\n

\"PersonKennedi Carter<\/p>\n

Mickalene Thomas in front of her Brooklyn studio, co-designed by Peterson Rich Office. The exterior is partially painted in Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams.<\/p>\n

WG: How does that relate to this new studio? <\/p>\n

MT: My first thought was, I want this building to not only be about me, I want it to be about the community. With my architect [Miriam Peterson] at Peterson Rich Office, I discussed creating a loftlike kitchen on the top floor to host events. Our first activation was a beautiful luncheon with the Bill T. Jones Legacy Council in October.<\/p>\n

WG: The studio is just over 7,000 square feet, which seems small for an artist. How did you decide on this building? <\/p>\n

MT: I chose the space for its location. I\u2019ve been living and working in the neighborhood for over 20 years. Incredible artists like Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Glenn Ligon, Adam Pendleton, and Spike Lee have planted seeds and roots here. It\u2019s like the Black boh\u00e8me. The energy is so vibrant. I waited for the right space. I wanted something expansive yet still intimate. This one just felt right.<\/p>\n

\"ModernKennedi Carter<\/p>\n

A view from the open kitchen area into the communal office space. Artworks by Thomas.<\/p>\n

WG: You are so expansive. Seven thousand square feet is not going to hold you for very long. [Laughs] <\/p>\n

MT: When you walk in, it feels larger. It\u2019s so open. It has the exact amount of working space and production area I need. A lot of artists who have monumental megastudios are having to rent them out because there\u2019s too much space. When I\u2019m there at night by myself, it feels the way it did in the beginning: a live-work space, a home.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the people who work with me are also artists. I want this to be a place they want to come to.\u201d
\u2014Mickalene Thomas<\/p>\n

WG: What else was important to you in selecting this space? <\/p>\n

MT: It reminded me of two studios that I\u2019ve had in the past. One was full of cascading light, with many windows. The second had no light, which allowed me to focus on the work. When I walked into this particular building, I realized that downstairs had the potential to be the studio with no light, and upstairs reminded me of my other studio. It\u2019s completely open, with a roof deck and a nice garden. I also have my maker space, where I can work through ideas without caring who\u2019s watching. Next to that is my private office, which faces my team. Windows and sunlight surround us on all sides. I often like how architectural offices are designed, where it feels like the creative team is working in a really high-end chef\u2019s kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"ModernKennedi Carter<\/p>\n

In the second floor lounge, the white sofa, pair of tables, floor lamps, and rug are from Moooi. Armchair by Anonima Castelli; gray sofa by Resource furniture; basket by Muuto; prints by Thomas.<\/p>\n

WG: Is that for everyone? I don\u2019t understand cooking. <\/p>\n

MT: It is. Most of the people who work with me are also artists. I want this to be a place they want to come to. If they\u2019re giving me eight hours a day, they\u2019ve got to be happy to walk through the door. We have lunch together every Thursday, and once a month we have a potluck. I also like having family meals curated by culinary artists like Jon Gray from Ghetto Gastro.<\/p>\n

WG: I\u2019m curious about mentorship: You inspire people. <\/p>\n

MT: I\u2019m investing in emerging artists; that\u2019s how you pay it forward. It\u2019s crucial to lay that foundation, because if we don\u2019t, there won\u2019t be artists who look like me who survive.<\/p>\n

WG: You\u2019re the reason things are going to get better. Bravo, baby, bravo.<\/p>\n

Step Inside Mickalene Thomas\u2019s Brooklyn Studio\"SeatedOpen Gallery\"\"<\/p>\n

This story originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 2022, after decades of working in studios that were either too bright or too dark, Mickalene Thomas…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":132774,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,1380,56760,569,568,9,24,63,56762,56759,56761],"class_list":{"0":"post-132773","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-brooklyn","8":"tag-brooklyn","9":"tag-brooklyn-headlines","10":"tag-brooklyn-news","11":"tag-content-type-feature","12":"tag-contentid-fa9f732f-abdf-451d-8073-e5b8fb60c485","13":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-new-york","16":"tag-new-york-city","17":"tag-nyc","18":"tag-read_time-5","19":"tag-shorttitle-inside-mickalene-thomass-brooklyn-studio","20":"tag-subsection-celebrity-homes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132773","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132773"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/132773\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/132774"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=132773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=132773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}