Artspace: Raleigh's Hub for Creativity

In this weeks episode, Sophs sits down with Carly Jones, President and CEO of Artspace, a place for creativity and connection in Raleigh! Tune in a we discuss all the different programs, classes, and events Artspace puts on, as well as the importance of safe spaces and third spaces in our community! Art space also helps everyone feel like they can create, from providing residencies and scholarships for artists, to using their On The Go program to reach people who cant commute! If you are interested in getting involved with Artspace follow this link to their website! https://artspacenc.org/


Oak City Move is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2, student-run radio from NC State University. Like what you hear? Consider supporting it with a gift to the WKNC Enhancement Fund. Visit our podcast page to hear more and follow us on all social media platforms @WKNC881. Thanks for listening.

Creators and Guests

Host

Sophs Magnanini

Public Affairs Director (2025-2026)

What is Oak City Move?

A radio program and podcast from WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 celebrating those who enact positive changes in the Raleigh community.

00:00
Sophia Magnanini
Oak City Move is a podcast on WKNC's 88.1 FM HD1 Raleigh, where we highlight people and organizations creating positive change in the Triangle and beyond. Oak City Move can be heard on air Every Monday on 88.1 FMHD1 Raleigh or online at WKNC to listen to episodes and more, go to our blog at blog.wknc.org or follow us on SoundCloud @WKNC881. Hello 88.1 WKNC Raleigh. The song you just heard was Sweaty linen by Surf Ninja 3. I'm Sophia Magnanini, your host and you're listening to Oak City Move. Today we are joined by a very special guest, President and CEO of ArtSpace, Carly Jones. First off, I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to join me.

00:46
Sophia Magnanini
And if we wanted to start off by for people who have never been to ARTSPACE or maybe not have heard of ARTSPACE before, if you wanted to kind of explain what it is.

00:57
Carly Jones
Yeah, absolutely. So thanks for having me. I'm really excited to have this conversation. Yeah. ArtSpace, we are a creative hub in the middle of downtown Raleigh where artists and community come together through classes we offer for all ages. So it's all visual arts, so painting, mixed media, you name it, anything that will get your hands messy. We've got classes along with 30 artists studios here. So we offer artists resources from residencies to studios that we rent out at half the market rate for artists that are living in our communities to be able to create in the communities in which they live. So We've got the 30 artist studios here and then we also have public gallery space.

01:58
Carly Jones
So we have three gallery spaces that are constantly rotated for folks to come and enjoy exhibitions from artists from all over the country and all over the region. So between artists, resources, art education, and our public programming, it's quite a place that's always buzzing with activity. And we're located in the middle of downtown Raleigh, right in the kind of market area by Moore square.

02:26
Sophia Magnanini
That's awesome. I just love how broad the variety of things that art space helps contribute to artists and just the community in general. There's so many different things that if someone wants to go to art space, they can choose from. And it's not just one thing fits all, it's kind of all these different things. Whatever works for you.

02:50
Carly Jones
Huh. Yeah. Yeah. We really like to be a place where people can experiment, you know, and try maybe something new that they haven't tried before. I know I've taken a mosaic class here on how to create actual mosaics and add tile. There's all sorts of different workshops that we have that we're offering throughout the year. And so, yeah, I do find that there's a little something for everybody here. Whether you call yourself an artist or you're just art curious, we have something for everybody. Yeah.

03:27
Sophia Magnanini
No, that's awesome, because also, there's so many different people that might either they're getting into art for the first time, they're curious, they might not know what they want to do. So the fact that you guys give these different classes and just so many opportunities to learn what they love, what they like, what they might not like, it's just such awesome opportunities that you guys provide.

03:50
Carly Jones
Yeah. Thank you.

03:51
Sophia Magnanini
As art space has been a part of Raleigh for a long time, do you what do you think has allowed it to remain such an important part of the city's creative community for so long? I know that connection is such a big part of it.

04:05
Carly Jones
Yeah, that's such a great question. Yeah. It is our 40th anniversary this year, so, yes, we have been in the middle of downtown Raleigh for four decades at this point. Funny story is I actually took class here during summer camp as a little kid, and now I'm running it, which is kind of wild. But, yeah, I think the reason that ArtSpace, has stayed around and has had such longevity here in the city is because we have a very special recipe at ArtSpace. We're not, you know, a museum. We love our museums. I think museums are incredibly important for every city to have. But I wouldn't call us a museum. I wouldn't. We're not a commercial gallery where, you know, it's only about, you know, collecting art that also has a special place in the art ecosystem. But that's not what we do either.

05:06
Carly Jones
We are truly, you know, as I said earlier, a hub, a creative hub where people can come and really pull the veil back and see how the sausage is made, get their hands messy and meet the artists that are creating the work that are in the exhibitions that they're seeing. Right. Or take a class. You know, if you come to an exhibition and it's all ceramics in that exhibition, we typically will have ceramics classes. So that way you can create a piece of work yourself. And so it's all about exploring the creative process at ARTSPACE. And I think that is why we have had such longevity here in the area is because it's a really special recipe of how we are exploring creativity, which is interesting because it's not only through exhibitions, but also through classes and also professional development for artists.

06:18
Carly Jones
And so we're providing a need in the city. There just simply aren't enough spaces in Raleigh, or in the Triangle for that matter, for artists to be able to create and have their own space to create within. You know, we're completely at capacity as far as our studio artists go. Right. So there's definitely a need in the city. So I think we're filling a need. We're also there for folks that just want to go and do something interesting, do something fun. You know, in downtown Raleigh, that's low stakes, but always going to be interesting to check out an exhibition or go to a class. And so I think, as you said earlier, there's a little bit of something for everyone, you know, And I think that is why we have stood the test of time here at ArtSpace for the last four years.

07:14
Sophia Magnanini
That's awesome. And I completely agree with you saying there is such a need right now for safe spaces, third spaces, where people and artists in general can have that outlet and can feel seen, can share and connect with other artists throughout the community. And so it's really great that you guys are providing that space.

07:37
Carly Jones
Absolutely. I totally agree. Third spaces are so necessary to community building. And I think it's been a very special third place, third space for a very long time. And it will always remain a need, no matter what's going on in the world, to have these spaces protected and to have people here enjoying them 100%.

08:04
Sophia Magnanini
I also really liked how you kind of put you guys apart and to let the people know that you aren't a museum, because I feel like that also. Even though, yeah, like you're saying everyone loves museums, like, museums are awesome. I feel like it kind of creates a more. Less like, stressful situation or environment or just like where people. For relaxed environment where everyone can kind of feel welcome to come if they want to hang out or if they don't. It's not like they are pressured into anything.

08:42
Carly Jones
Absolutely. We worked really hard at ARTSPACE to be as welcoming of an environment as possible. And I do think that our museums sometimes get a bad rap or sometimes being more. More sterile environments or, you know, quiet touch anything, you know, and. And there's a place for that. Like I said, I love a good museum and you all have an incredible one right there on campus at the Gregg Museum. I've been to lots of artist talks there and many different programs there that are very welcoming. So I do Think that museums have a great opportunity to be able to walk, open their doors and bring people in for various programs. But I also think that art space really is different. It's kind of the messy behind the curtain. You know, it's where you get your hands messy.

09:43
Carly Jones
It's where you see artist studios that are really beautiful, but also sometimes messy because they're creating within those spaces. And so once you see a little bit of mess, I think sometimes that naturally lets people, you know, let their guard down and really be able to be immersed in the creative process. And so, yeah, I definitely believe that art space is unique in that way that, you know, it's not pretentious. There's no vocabulary you need to know before you come. There's no, you know, there's not a set protocol. You just come as you are and you enjoy art space however you would like. Whether that's a class or just enjoying the exhibitions or talking to the artists. It's really up to whatever it is that you want to do.

10:39
Sophia Magnanini
Which is so awesome because it kind of takes away a seriousness. And also, like, if someone is kind of more anxious and they're stepping into this place for the first time, it helps to kind of lower that and make them feel safe and able to interact in the different opportunities that you guys give.

10:59
Carly Jones
Absolutely, absolutely.

11:02
Sophia Magnanini
Along with. I know were just kind of talking about creative processes. And then earlier, when you're talking about the different artists that are residents, what do you think that artists gain from being surrounded by other artists and having the public interact with their creative process?

11:20
Carly Jones
Oh, yeah, that is definitely a part of the magic of art space, having a community of artists under one roof. We are actually the largest community of visual artists under one roof in the entire state of North Carolina. And that is really beautiful to watch. Specifically with our residency program, we have three year round residencies that we offer artists which provides a free space for the entire year for them to create with them and then an exhibition after that year in one of our gallery spaces. So two of those exhibitions or two of those residencies are our emerging artisan residence. And then we have an HBCU alumni artisan in residence. And so those artists are new to us every year and it's really beautiful to watch them become a part of the ArtSpace community. I'll give you an example.

12:30
Carly Jones
Our inaugural HBCU artist resident, Jalen Jackson, an incredible painter. It was his first year with us. He was extremely hard working, had just graduated from college from A and T University and was also Driving, picking up all sorts of shifts for other kinds of work as well. And he was one of the most hardworking, the hardest working artists that I know. And while he was here, not only did he take advantage of the studio space and be able to really create as much as possible in the studio space to be able to meet new people that were coming every first Friday and coming for programming, et cetera. So it was great exposure for him. He also learned from another artist that was a bit more seasoned, Richard Wilson.

13:30
Carly Jones
He'd been here with us for quite some time, and Richard taught him how to make his own frames. Right. And had a frame shop and so taught him how to do his own framing, etc. And that was a huge opportunity for him to learn from another artist. And that's just one example of all of the beautiful collaborations that we see at ArtSpace. Really wonderful to watch artists grow, no matter what point of their career they're in. It's really beautiful to watch the collaborations that happen, what they learn from one another, how they support one another and attend each other's openings. You know, it truly is beautiful to watch the artist community blossom here at ArtSpace.

14:20
Sophia Magnanini
No, that's so, so awesome because not only are you guys giving these artists the materials and space to help further their creation and their creative process, but then also all these people to fall back on for support or to help give criticism or to help teach. And so it sounds just like such an awesome community and such an awesome experience for those newer artists who are coming into this space. Kind of maybe not sure what's going to happen. And it's just so cool how you guys are really making sure that they are feeling heard and helped and supported every step of the way.

15:02
Carly Jones
Absolutely. It's one of our. It's one of the. My most favorite things that we do here at ArtSpace is our residency program. We actually have the call out right now, so if there are any artists listening. We do have the call out right now for North Carolina emerging artists and residents, along with our HBCU artists and residents. So those are open to the public. I will say it's only for folks that have graduated from college. So, you know, if you're a student listening, then you got just a little bit of time to wait before you can apply. But it is a really cool program because we offer the studio for free. We also offer a monthly stipend for materials or whatever people need to use that stipend for along with the exhibition. And one of our Gallery spaces.

15:56
Carly Jones
And then one of the residents also has housing, which is located right across the street. Yeah. So that was beautiful for us to be able to land housing for one of our artists and residents, because it meant that we could bring in an artist from wherever. And this is the first year we've been able to provide that after a lot of fundraising. And the artist that is here with us, actually, Sky Day, she's incredible, an incredible painter, and she comes from the western part of the state, from a Hurricane Helene affected area. So it really worked out perfectly this year, and we're really excited to be able to offer that again next year.

16:39
Sophia Magnanini
So. That's so amazing. I love that. I didn't really know that was something that you guys did, even though you said it was kind of something newer that you guys. But that's so special. And also, I feel like kind of set you guys apart from a lot of other spaces.

16:55
Carly Jones
Yeah. You know, I will say it's hard work running an arts nonprofit, especially with kind of the world falling apart around us these days. I think that arts funding is always kind of the first to get cut when there are issues like housing and, you know, the environment and all of these very real issues that we're all very concerned about. It's really hard to be out there fundraising for the arts. But I do believe wholeheartedly that, yes, there are all of these very important issues, but there's also quality of life. Right. We all still need these third spaces. We still need these spaces to be able to create within. And we're really grateful to the Carlisle Adams Foundation. They were the ones that ended up getting us the funding and the space. It's called the Job House.

17:55
Carly Jones
It's an old house downtown, right off of Hillsborough Street.

17:59
Sophia Magnanini
Oh, yes. Is it kind of. Is it near, like, irregardless?

18:03
Carly Jones
Yeah, it's right next to Earth.

18:04
Sophia Magnanini
I literally. I just walked by it yesterday, and I was like, wait a second.

18:08
Carly Jones
Yeah, it's really cool. And it's also beautiful because we're sharing this space with another partner of ours, Visual Art Exchange, also known as vae, who do really excellent work with emerging artists support artists, professional development, and really providing resources for artists. So they use the downstairs for their exhibition space, along with a hub for artists to be able to work within. And then upstairs is where our artist residents stay. So it's also a space that we've been able to share, and Arts Access also uses it for their office space as well. That's a organization in the area that helps bring Resources to people with disabilities that want to enjoy the arts. So yeah, all three of our nonprofits are utilizing that really cool space.

19:11
Sophia Magnanini
I love that. And I just, I love the collaboration of it all to just reach an even broader scope than you guys are right now.

19:19
Carly Jones
Absolutely. I totally agree.

19:22
Sophia Magnanini
ArtSpace offers various classes and programs for people of all ages and abilities. I wanted to ask you a little bit if you wanted to kind of talk about those some and also why you think it's important to make education such a big part of the organization.

19:40
Carly Jones
Yeah, education is a very special part of what we do at ArtSpace. I believe that it will always be a part of what we do at Art Space. And historically it has been a very impactful part of our work. And I mentioned, you know, I took camp, summer camp here as a kid. I run into people all the time that say, oh, I took a class there and oh, it's one of the first places I visited when I moved to Raleigh and I took a class. I believe that having art education as a part of what we do is a great entry point for people. It helps people let their guards down, you know, in a space to be able to really get their hands messy. And also I believe it makes the experience more immersive.

20:40
Carly Jones
When you are in a creative hub where you are viewing beautiful work on the walls of a gallery, but then you can to the room next door and actually make work like that yourself. It truly makes the experience much more immersive, much more impactful, and it teaches more about the creative process once again. Right. It pulls that veil of mystery back so that people can really understand more about the work that they experiencing. And that is why it's so important that we provide education classes and workshops. I also think it's important for youth, you know, for art education to be a part of every child's experience. As I discussed earlier, the arts are always the first thing to get cut. Whether that's in our schools or whether that's, you know, spaces that have been defunded.

21:51
Carly Jones
It's really important that we show up to fill in those gaps. We actually have a van that we take around to various communities. It's called our Art space on the Go program. And on that van we have running water, we have electricity, and we have everything we would ever have in a classroom here at ArtSpace. So that way we can pull up to the Boys and Girls Club, we can pull up to NC State if we want to, we can pull up to a neighborhood and bring the art based classroom experience to Folks that may not be able to get to us due to transportation issues. So we've been able to go to rural areas. We've been able to go to places where our elders live, where they can't.

22:42
Carly Jones
May not be able to get to us easily so that we can bring that experience to them.

22:49
Sophia Magnanini
That's amazing. I wasn't aware that you guys had the on the go program. That's so awesome. And just like you were saying, art is such an important outlet for a lot of people. And so the fact that you guys are making sure that so many different people that maybe can't come out to you guys are able to experience it still is so awesome and just so inspiring.

23:15
Carly Jones
Well, thank you. Yeah, we noticed, you know, we have this great scholarship program for our summer camps, and it's always filled up, and people always use the scholarships, which is great. But then we found that we still weren't reaching the communities that we really wanted to reach, even though we had the scholarship program. And after further conversations, I realized, well, it's because they can't get to us many times. And so it's just. We're just trying to break down barriers as much as possible. And so that is what Art Space on the Go is all about, which.

23:59
Sophia Magnanini
You guys have definitely been doing. And I can only imagine the scope of change that you guys have created in starting those programs and doing it and going on the road with it as well.

24:12
Carly Jones
Yeah, it's been. It's another part of the work that's really beautiful here at ArtSpace to hear the stories of the families that have been impacted or, you know, parents that are just gushing over their child's experience after we've been able to pull up to their neighborhood. One story that's really beautiful is were working specifically with an apartment community here in Raleigh that had a heavy immigration population. And there was a time when, during this last year, that those families just didn't feel comfortable sending their kids to school because there were some ICE arrests in their community. And so were able to send art kits. They actually requested that we send art kits. It was one of our art space on the go places that we typically have a full class and that was able.

25:24
Carly Jones
We were able to send those art kits to those kids and those families to be able to bring a little bit of joy, a little bit of comfort, as they were basically staying at home and safe in place. And that showed me what we're doing is not frivolous. The fact that they reached out to get those art kits for those kids showed me that what we're doing really is necessary for people to have a good quality of life and have joy.

26:04
Sophia Magnanini
Yeah, that's really awesome. And that's just so heartwarming to hear that in those situations when they might be scary to the family, the children might really not know what's happening. And you guys are there to help make sure that they still have this outlet for creativity, something to pass the time, something to help them and their parents just have a little bit of peace, which is so important.

26:35
Carly Jones
Yeah, absolutely.

26:36
Sophia Magnanini
I wanted to ask, as. As you've seen Raleigh grow and art space also growing, how have you kind of seen the city influencing art space and then art space also influencing the creative identity of Raleigh?

26:56
Carly Jones
A great question. You know, we've been around for 40 years, and many people enjoy a great First Friday out in downtown Raleigh. It's been beautiful to watch first Fridays of the month really blossom into something that has now the restaurant community partakes in, giving discounts for the night and, you know, different activities out in the streets happening. But art space was actually the place where we had the very first Friday. It was called the First Friday Art Walk. And it was, you know, back in the day, probably early 90s is when we first started that. And it's really blossomed and gone from. From there. And now, you know, I always know when I go to Durham, it's third. Third Fridays. Raleigh, it's First Fridays. But I can go to gallery openings and I can go to restaurants and it's going to be buzzing.

27:59
Carly Jones
And so, yeah, we're really proud of that. We've been digging in our archives during our 40th anniversary and really collecting stories about our impact on the city as a whole. I'm sure you're aware, you know, if you're in Raleigh, that here we drop a giant acorn during first night. Raleigh, kind of like on New Year's Eve. That acorn that is dropped every year was created by an art space artist at ARTSPACE.

28:32
Sophia Magnanini
No way. That is crazy. Y' all really are like the glue of the city.

28:42
Carly Jones
Well, yeah, I don't know about that, but I think it is pretty cool. I always say, wow, like, I learn something new every day about art space. And so, yeah, that is. I definitely. I mean, they're always telling me all of the stories about art space and how that contributed to their careers as artists. And when we look back at the hundreds and hundreds of artists that we have come into contact with and whether they've had an exhibition here, or they've taught a class here, or they have a studio here. It really is quite humbling to see the impact that Art Space has had over the years on individual artists. And part of that is definitely the fact that we provide resources to artists, right?

29:40
Carly Jones
So we're not just celebrating them and their work in our gallery spaces and having these incredible exhibitions, but we are also providing much needed studio space, much needed residencies, workshops for artists, and just a place for them to come together and collaborate. And that's really special. So I definitely think we've had a huge impact on Raleigh. I'm a Raleigh girl, born and raised. I came to ArtSpace as a kid all the time for various events and to see that it's still going strong, you know, years later. And now I have my own child, you know, that I hope to put into camp when she's old enough. Like I, you know, that's really beautiful. I mean, it's gone. It's been an impact that's lasted generations here in Raleigh.

30:30
Sophia Magnanini
But that's so incredibly important and it's going to be so awesome to kind of see how Raleigh and ArtSpace grow together in these next couple of years.

30:44
Carly Jones
Yeah, definitely. It's going to beautiful. We're going to be embarking on our next 40 years and we have a really awesome show called Fresh right now. It's our biggest group show. It opens this coming first Friday in September and will be open for the next couple of months. We have 376 pieces that we're hanging on the walls right now. It's an unjurried show, meaning like whoever lives in the state of North Carolina above the age of 18 could submit. And it will be hung on the walls. And then the second iteration of it during the next month, we bring in a juror, which we're bringing in Leah Newman, who teaches and curates at Davidson College. She used to be our creative director. So she's going to come in and curate the 376 pieces, down to about 50 pieces, which will be really cool.

31:43
Carly Jones
And then during time we're having panels, we're going to have a zine making workshop, we're going to have a film, some film screenings. It'll be packed full of activities. So definitely, like check that out. That is something that I think is the biggest testament to our impact is, you know, being able to bring in artists from all over the Triangle for that. Then the call is, I think, still out for our 12x12 show. So if you're an artist listening, you Want to submit some work for the 12x12? That's exactly what it sounds like. 12X12 pieces on the walls. So, again, just trying to bring down the barriers to entry into the art world is what we're all about, which.

32:31
Sophia Magnanini
Is so awesome and just so amazing. And I just want to thank you again for coming onto the podcast and talking about Art Space, which you guys have just done so much for the community. The acorn that like, still blows my mind. Like, I cannot believe that. But it's just so great to hear that you guys just keep on building and broadening your scope of the community and just making sure everyone that is interested in art or that wants to get involved with Art Space has the chance to, which is so awesome. And if there's any kind of other programs or events in the future that you want to talk about or maybe if you want to shout out the website or any social media pages before we sign off.

33:20
Carly Jones
So yeah, we're on all social media platforms. Definitely. Check us out at ArtSpaceNC, like Art Space North Carolina. So Art Space North Carolina. And then our website where you can find all those calls for art. You can sign up for our newsletter. You can check out what's going on in the calendar. Our website is artspacency.org See you all there.

33:45
Sophia Magnanini
Yeah, yeah. So everyone listening? Definitely go check those out. Especially if you're interested in art or just creating in general. But once again, Carly, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to join me. It was amazing and I hope that we can have another chat like this soon.

34:03
Carly Jones
Oh yeah. Thank you so much for having me and thanks for giving Art Space some love and I hope to see lots of NC State and whoever else is listening out at First Fridays and all of our events. Thank you so much for the opportunity.