You Now Have Access to Our Creative Spaces Directory
Brought to You by Tomatokind's Editorial Adventures & Reader Submissions
Hello from The Void! (a.k.a Dec 27-30 — when no one knows what day it is…)
I hope this finds you in something soft and cozy, and munching on a sweet or savory treat.
(I just finished some leftover banana bread, topped with a generous dollop of Nutella.)
Looking to Get Cozy and Creative This Winter?
Around the same time last year, we launched our Little Album of Small-Business Adventures where we shared 39 reader-nominated businesses and experiences across the country in the following categories:
NATURE & CULINARY ADVENTURES
ARTS, GIFTS, & MARKETPLACES
APPAREL, FABRICS, & ACCESSORIES
PERSONAL CARE & MOVEMENT
BOOKS, PAPER, & MUSIC
This year, though, I want to deliver something that can evolve with this community — something that is interactive and usable on the daily basis for creatives of all types.
So, for the past few months, we have been collecting recommendations from our entire creative network and compiling a first edition of Tomatokind’s Creative Spaces Directory.
About the Creative Spaces Directory: a living, community-built map of creative spaces, studios, and hideaways — curated from our editorial adventures at Tomatokind Magazine and reader submissions. Think of it as “Yelp” for creatives! Here, you’ll find local co-ops and collectives, artist co-working spaces, creative services, gathering places, and creative event venues - updated every quarter.
The map currently includes 80 establishments across the continental US spread across 4 categories:
CREATIVE WORKSPACES
EXPERIENCES
STUDIOS & TALENT
GATHERING SPACES & RETAIL
So, if you’re looking for a space to do your art or creative thinking this winter (alone or with others), click into the map and check out what spaces others in the community love!
And, if you don’t see your favorite local spot in the directory, reply to me with the establishment name and location and we’ll make it happen →
Top Picks from the First Edition
“But, Vanessa - what kind of places does this directory feature?”
I’m glad you asked! Below is a quick introduction to our top 20 picks from this first edition:
Artist Co-Working Spaces
1. Midway Artist Studio (Boston, MA)
“Midway Artist Studios is an affordable artist work-live building and a vibrant cultural institution and cornerstone in the Greater Boston arts community. Midway is where performers, filmmakers, musicians, painters, writers, sculptors, photographers, poets, ceramicists, jewelers, illustrators, dancers, and many others, can make and share their work.”
2. Compound Gallery (Emeryville, CA)
“The Interdisciplinary Art Facilities at the Compound Gallery is more than just a place to work. It is a vibrant hub for the arts community. Spanning 18,000 sq ft, our space boasts a wide range of art equipment and studios, including etching presses, screen printing, ceramics, sewing, 3D printing, laser cutting, wood shop, photo area, and more. You can retreat to your studio for focused work or engage in social interaction with fellow artists, forging connections, and sparking creative discussions.”
3. The Ruby (San Francisco, CA)
“The Ruby is more than just a workspace - it is a collective of Bay Area nonbinary, trans-feminine, and woman-identified creatives who have a desire to learn, curiosity, and a range of interests—and who continually seek enrichment.”
4. The Maker City LA (Los Angeles, CA)
“Maker City LA is a vibrant hub for diverse creative businesses, makers, and entrepreneurs, dedicated to supporting Los Angeles’ thriving creative community. Our mission is to offer inspiring and functional workspaces tailored to the unique needs of those who drive innovation in design, art, and technology.”
5. The Bungalow by Tribe (San Francisco, CA)
“A gorgeous, plant-filled teahouse and co-working space in SF's Marina District. It's an island-inspired sanctuary of radical hospitality, designed to offer a serene escape where time slows, conversations deepen, and strangers walk away as friends.”
Experiences
6. Creative Lunch Club (Various Locations)
“The Creative Lunch Club is a community for people working in the creative industries. Whether you are a graphic designer, a photographer, a marketer, or a filmmaker, the Creative Lunch Club gives you the chance to regularly meet other creatives in your city for lunch.”
7. Glenstone Museum (Potomac, MD)
“Glenstone is a museum located just outside Washington, D.C. — a space where you can slow down, be in nature, and engage directly with art. Whether you're visiting for the first or fifth time, Glenstone is here to give you a space for ongoing reflection and contemplation.”
8. Dance Mission Theater (San Francisco, CA)
“Dance Mission Theater is a thriving, women-led, artist-driven, multi-cultural, and multi-generational community and artistic sanctuary for women and queer-identified artists, artists of color, and culturally-specific dance ensembles dedicated to inclusiveness, fairness, and justice.”
9. BANDALOOP Studios (Oakland, CA)
“BANDALOOP is proud to call West Oakland home, where our new 8,000 sq ft space serves our dancers, students and community. Here we incubate work, and offer year-round vertical dance workshops for learners of all ages, genders and movement backgrounds.”
10. Creative Growth Art Center (Oakland, CA)
“Creative Growth is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, California that advances the inclusion of artists with developmental disabilities in contemporary art and strengthens community by providing a supportive studio environment and gallery representation.”
Studios
11. SF Center for the Book (San Francisco, CA)
“San Francisco Center for the Book is the center of inspiration for the book arts world, featuring the art & craft of letterpress printing, bookbinding, and artists bookmaking. We focus on the history, artistry, and continuing presence of books in our culture, as well as their enduring importance as a medium of self-expression. We’re the home for Bay Area book artists, and the best place for the wider community to discover book arts.”
12. Western Avenue (Boston, MA)
“With nearly 400 artists, Western Avenue is the largest artist community in New England. When we talk to the artists of Western Avenue, the one thing that resonates with all is the sense of community they experience when they have a Studio or Loft here. To be part of an intentional community of creative people is a joy. Artists have arrived working in one medium and are inspired by their peers – expanding their creative vision and skills. Some retire to devote themselves to their craft.”
13. Crews for a Cause (Various Locations)
“Crews for a Cause is a 100% volunteer run nonprofit production group made up of production assistants, producers, makeup artists, directors, cinematographers and everyone in between. We specialize in creating short form video content for great causes in need of telling their story. Our goal is to support and bring together passionate and empowered entertainment professionals to produce, film & edit videos benefiting good causes and people in need—at little or no cost to them.”
14. Mudworks Studio (El Cerrito, CA)
“Mudworks Studio is an inclusive local ceramics studio that provides classes for folks interested in wheel throwing, hand-building, and slip casting. We also offer studio memberships for ceramicists wanting a place to work and a source of community and creativity.”
15. Casket Arts Building (Minneapolis, MN)
“Over 150 artists and art-based businesses inhabit the Casket Arts Community. Most of the tenants run working studios and open their work spaces for building events and by appointment. The Casket Arts Community is comprised of three beautifully renovated old factory buildings in Northeast Minneapolis, plus the NE Sculpture Gallery and outdoor sculpture park. The three historic structures – the Casket Arts Building, the Carriage House, and the Factory – had been the Northwestern Casket Company from 1882 until converted to art studios in 2006.”
Gathering Spaces
16. Chapter 510 (Oakland, CA)
“Chapter 510 & The Dept. of Make / Believe is an 826 National-inspired organization and one of the many beautiful writing centers for youth all around the world. At our writing center and at Oakland schools, our programs create a safe space for Black, brown, and queer youth to find joy and power in writing. OVER the last 10 years, We’ve published over 100 youth-penned books and supported over 5,000 young authors in Oakland. Young people are the authors of our future – and we need their voices now.”
17. Fig Leaf Gardens (Oakland, CA)
“Fig Leaf Gardens is a beautiful backyard oasis in the Redwood Heights neighborhood of Oakland. Walking past the zen garden, you will find over 30 different varieties of fruit trees, vegetable beds, a chicken coop, beehives, a pond, and a 60-year-old fig tree (our namesake). Aside from providing a bountiful array of produce, this space has a history of bringing people together, of sharing meals and stories, and cultivating community.”
18. Local Economy (Oakland, CA)
“Local Economy is our attempt to create a community resilience hub. The space is supported by members who pay monthly dues that give them full access to the space when it is open, first dibs on event tickets, and a bundle of fun stuff. Those dues also help keep the space open and thriving for the larger community, so that our programs can be accessible and inclusive.”
19. The Stashery at the Textile Center (Minneapolis, MN)
“We’ve transformed one of our classrooms at Textile Center into a year-round secondhand textile supplies store.The Stashery provides accessible materials for artists and makers of all levels — especially at a time when reducing waste and caring for our environment is top of mind.”
20. Book Society (Berkeley, CA)
“Book Society is more than a bookstore—it’s a vibrant community hub where literature, wine, and conversation converge. Founded in 2023, this independent, woman-owned space offers a thoughtfully curated selection of books alongside a rotating menu of exceptional wines. With events ranging from author talks to book clubs and creative gatherings, Book Society fosters meaningful connections through shared stories. Inspired by the cozy library of her small-town youth and the farm stand where her family shared their harvest, founder Laura Guzman created Book Society as a place where people could slow down, discover something new, and connect with fellow book and wine lovers.”
So, if you’re interested in a crowd-sourced list of creative spaces to work, play, create, collaborate, and gather, check out the map here and under the “Creative Spaces Map” tab at the top of our Substack publication.
With that, please share the map with other creatives and help spread love for all the wonderful small-businesses that just might be the perfect backdrop for your and your community’s next creative jam sesh.
Always with zealousness and gratitude for this creative life,
Vanessa
