SpaceCraft: How a co-op is filling a major void in the Maker City
Jaleria Rivera, the founder of SpaceCraft, believes it will become the go-to hub for artists and makers of every kind to experiment with their work while finding community.
Knoxville is proudly known and referred to as “The Maker City,” and in many ways that rings true. Organizations like The Maker City create platforms for tinkers to market their goods, the Maker City Summit attracts top speakers and creates a sense of community, festivals are popping up all over town, and monthly meetups foster a sense of belonging.
However, affordable studio space is hard to come by in the Scruffy City, meaning most makers must carve out a space in their home to create. Jaleria Rivera experienced that firsthand during the pandemic. She was crammed in a small space – and how is an artist supposed to make magic in a corner?
It is her personal experience – coupled with a community of creatives calling for more spaces in the city – that Rivera boldly launched SpaceCraft.
About one month ago, she cut the ribbon on her downtown studio space, which isn’t exclusive to one or two artists. It’s a cooperative, meaning many artists, makers, dancers, and crafters can join SpaceCraft to access a studio space away from home. It also serves as a creative maker space, event center for public programming, and gallery for artists and other creatives.
On SpaceCraft’s opening night, Rivera displayed 50 works from 20 artists in the Knoxville community. More than 200 community members showed up to support the opening of the space and about $1,000 worth of art was sold. Talk about a successful launch!
“The feedback from this community has been amazing. People love it because it’s not just a place for our artistry, it’s a place for our humanity,” Rivera said.
Rivera founded SpaceCraft to be a place for everyone – the misfits and marginalized, alike. It’s a place for BIPOC artists, queer artists, various cultures, religions, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds to express the full spectrum of their humanity
“This space is not just mine, it’s ours,” Rivera said. “My excitement and passion about SpaceCraft are shared amongst the members and community. They take ownership in this vision, too.”
So, how did it all get started? It all dates back to Rivera’s journey to Knoxville.
She attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and studied communications and creative writing. Interestingly enough, it was a last-minute decision to go to college. Rivera said she was raised by two parents in the military, and for the longest time thought she wanted to go into the Air Force.
“When I toured UTC, I realized that the Air Force wasn’t my dream. I was only one signature away from joining, too,” she said.
Upon graduation, Rivera decided it was time to move to a bigger city. She chose Knoxville and officially moved in 2019. Then… the pandemic hit.
“I hardly knew anyone here, and I was about ready to move again. When I decided to give Knoxville one more shot,” she said. Rivera set out to attend any cultural, musical, or community event she could find.
Sure enough, her boldness paid off. Rivera re-discovered her love for dance. She defines her style as “transitional fusion” – which is a personal fusion that combines principles of North African belly dance, hip hop, and Symbol Dance.
The idea for SpaceCraft came soon after, as discussions around physical spaces for creatives grew louder in the Knoxville community. Someone needed to take that bold first step – and Rivera was the right person.
Rivera took this idea and entered the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center’s 2023 ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ Pitch Competition. It’s a 48-hour mentoring workshop that helps solidify branding, a business plan, and more, ending with a pitch competition and the chance to take home a check for $10,000. SpaceCraft was chosen as one of seven finalists. (See teknovation.biz article)
“Those 48 hours were hands down so stressful, so exhausting, but in the best way possible. I’ve never been more tired but also so energized at the same time,” said Rivera.
She didn’t walk away with the grand prize, but she did walk away with a business plan. Just over a year later, she has reached mega-milestones of leasing a building, cultivating a maker space, welcoming new members, and bringing more awareness to the cooperative.
So, what’s next for SpaceCraft? Rivera pictures a bright future – and given her track record for setting goals and accomplishing them, the community can feel confident about the direction it is headed.
Rivera is activating SpaceCraft with a year full of programming co-hosted by members of the cooperative, which will welcome the broader artist community into the space. Some of those workshops could be about learning technical art skills, while other events could be interdisciplinary productions and exhibitions.
“We also want to have a workshop that helps the public understand art – how to interpret various pieces, styles, and interact with artists,” Rivera said. “Art is for more than selling. It is something to be seen, experienced, and felt.”
Rivera believes SpaceCraft will become the go-to hub for artists and makers of every kind to experiment with their work while finding community. In turn, furthering the mission of the Maker City initiatives, and making Knoxville a better place to grow, explore, stay, play, and experience.
Read more about artist-owned maker space, and visit the SpaceCraft studio off Central Street.
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