Why are you called AHAB’s?

 

The artisan flea mall studio space is actually called Artists’ Hub of the A.C.E. Basin and A.H.A.B. is the shortened acronym for the name of the creative space. A.H.A.B. has been planned and designed to be a multi-faceted working artisan studio, selling market and public venue to meet a variety of needs and services for the artisans, consumers, tourists and community in general.

 

What is the Artist Hub of the A.C.E. Basin?

 

A.H.A.B. is a private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit venue promoting the artistic and professional interests of its members while providing public visual arts programs for the community with a supportive creative environment. It is a coalition or co-op of various artisans that have collectively come together with a common vision and goals. Artists’ Hub of the A.C.E. Basin is a community entity that helps promote ARTrepreneurs that each have their own small businesses, providing them a physical brick and mortar location that may not be possible on their own due to high overhead costs while standards of living continue to be stressed during covid and post-covid economic challenges. It is also a community gathering place for local artists to promote the importance of art, participation in the arts, and art education to anyone that is interested.

 

What kind of programs do you offer to the community?

 

A.H.A.B. coordinates, hosts and provides cultural and educational opportunities through various programs, classes, D.I.Y. workshops, special events, and venues to support and foster reading, writing, creating and study of a wide range of artistic forms through visual, written and performing arts. Currently, all classes and workshops are being offered on a by appointment basis so that each student can receive personal instruction that can be tailored specifically to meet their interests and skill levels that fits everyone’s schedule. A.H.A.B. can also host small group parties/classes for a very wide range of class choices, as well as some limited class choices off-campus at other venues or locations. Due to the nature of some of our class/workshop offerings, our campus is 100% alcohol-free and family friendly.

 

How did A.H.A.B. get its start?

 

The Artists’ Hub of the A.C.E. Basin Cooperative was formed in December in 2020 to expand the opportunities for local artisans to exhibit and sell their works by its founding Senior Co-Executive Directors Jean Langston and Heather Whitten. Covid and post-covid world has created a very challenging situation for small businesses and entrepreneurs alike. By creating a synergy, there is a combined effect that becomes far greater than the sum of their separate parts. This synergy becomes beneficial to each of the artisans, the patrons and the community at large. Not only does this help every artisan directly, but it also provides any local services needed while boosting the local economy. 

 

How has A.H.A.B. evolved from its beginning to where it is today?

 

Artists’ Hub of the A.C.E. Basin started out with around ten resident artisans that came together to help one another share in the expense of maintaining a brick and mortar location to create and sell their items. It started out as a simple for-profit business plan, but quickly evolved into something much greater as more service needs and requests presented themselves.  There are now twenty resident artisans and fifty-five consigning artisans, for a total of seventy-five artisans. Majority of the artisans are from South Carolina, however there are a handful that are from other states such as: Wyoming, Wisconsin, Montana, Colorado, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, and Florida. As time allowed for growth and development, additional services were added such as classes, workshops, commissions, demonstrations, public stage area, instrumental music lessons, and a small coffee snack area. Because of the increased interests, requests and service expansion; an internal decision was made after consulting with several supportive agencies to make the official transition into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its founding Senior Co-Executive Directors, Jean Langston and Heather Whitten, were already essentially operating in that capacity themselves as business decisions were being made to positively affect each of the artisans more directly as well as each of the visiting patrons, rather than themselves. So transitioning into a non-profit entity only made sense.

 

How do the artisans directly benefit from being part of the cooperative?

 

Each of the artisans are given a low-cost opportunity to either rent space or to consign in order to sell their pieces they have created inside an indoor market, away from the outdoor setting that can often create challenges with inclimate or extremely hot weather.  The market is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am through 9 pm. We have recently decided to offer Summer Sunday hours from 10 am through 3 pm, starting June 12th.  So artisans have always had at least six days, now seven days each week, with extended hours to try and sell their items and/or give classes. Each artisan also sets their asking price and when the item sells, they receive 100% of their asking price. Any additional proceeds that are generated through the market and coffee bar go right back in towards the expenses for the market venue to help keep the doors open and the market operational for the artisans and the community. Additionally, artisans have free agency to set their fees for classes they offer, receive 100% of their class earnings and full use of the studio space provided within the non-profit venue.

 

How does it work exactly in order for your organization to maintain such extended days and times for the community and artisans alike to benefit from?

 

A.H.A.B. as a collective does not have the operational budget to hire anyone from the outside and since we are a collective of small business ARTrepreneurs, we work together to share in the days and hours to keep the doors open and operate. Each one of the resident artisans are small business owners, there is an expectation that resident artisans should take ownership in their business to help operate and promote their own businesses and the co-op as a collective. Consigning artisans also can earn use of studio areas for classes by volunteering their time on the floor as well. 

 

As founding Senior Co-Executive Directors, what is your direct involvement and benefits from your role within your non-profit organization?

 

With given input, discussion and suggestions from the cooperating artisans, we both make decisions for operational activities, set and measure operational goals and indicators. We plan, implement and manage both short term and long term goals for A.H.A.B. We plan and monitor the day-to-day operations, along with supervising, training, and overseeing the other artisans as we all work together to make it work as a whole. 

 

We both volunteer every single hour spent both within the market and outside of the market for any business activity conducted. Given that we have been open for about a year and half, open six days a week at 11 hours each day. That is a lot of hours given freely because we believe in what we are doing for the artisans and the community. 

 

In addition, we too, have our own business within the co-op just like the other artisans that operate under the Artists’ Hub of the A.C.E. Basin non-profit flagship. Any proceeds that our own business generates is given over to go towards the operation of the non-profit to help things run smoothly as we are still in the infancy stage in terms of building a business and now a non-profit as well.  So we do not see any actual revenue personally ourselves. 

 

Some may ask, “Why would you do that?!?” The answer to that is because we love being artists. We love having a studio to work and create. We love having a place to teach. We love seeing other artisans coming together to help one another.  We love seeing the joy visitors exhibit when they come to shop, take classes, and/or get coffee and snacks. We love to see the young and old come to explore, to create, to relax and be social, and sometimes tickle the keys on the keyboard on the pianos.  We do not have any financial gain whatsoever in what we are doing personally for the other artisans and the community. What we are doing here is truly a labor of love. However, someday, we would like to be able to hire a bookkeeper so we don’t have to do all the paperwork.

 

How would you describe your market and studio location to a visitor?

 

We are a unique creative space that has a very eclectic collection from traditional paintings to comic books. We try to offer items that would appeal to any age and any budget. We are a co-op of artisans that share and rent spaces or consign. We are not the typical gallery or museum as one might expect. It’s a living, working artisan space with classes and workshops. We have an open stage for musicians, poets and comedians to freely use if they want to. We are a family friendly public place where people can meet to socialize and hang out. A.H.A.B. is meant to be a creative spot for anyone to enjoy on multiple levels.