Art boom at Canton's south end. New Canton Creator Space features BZTAT, The CUT Cinema

CANTON − An old Studebaker showroom has been reborn as Canton Creator Space, a new artist workspace featuring an established studio and independent cinema.

BZTAT Studios and The CUT Cinema have partnered to anchor the building at 730 Market Ave. SW.

The artistic duo was forced to relocate in late summer because of the Canton Palace Theatre's expansion project directly west on Sixth Street NW. BZTAT and The CUT were among a handful of businesses and art studios displaced because of the plans to demolish two buildings on Sixth.

Canton Creator Space, which will also include other artists, is holding a grand opening reception featuring the "Holiday Art Extravaganza" from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. Rock Salt and Nails, a folk music and Americana band, will perform.

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Featured artists in the holiday art exhibition will include Jo Westfall, Keely Serri, Scott Simler, Sara Caplinger, Laura Hollis, Sally Priscilla Lytle, David Dingwell, Jennifer Lutton, Sarah Shumaker, Brenda Case, Vicki Boatright and Dyanne Williams.

Holiday art will be on display in the BZTAT Studios Gallery at Canton Creator Space through Jan. 3. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Who started Canton Creator Space?

Boatright owns and operates BZTAT Studios. Neil Weakland owns and operates The CUT Cinema. Weakland also owns and operates Canton Creator Space, while Boatright serves as site manager.

Boatright admitted to both the logistical and emotional difficulty of being forced to move from the Sixth Street location, where BZTAT Studios had been based since 2021.

But she's enthusiastic and optimistic about the possibilities on Market Avenue SW in the 5,000-square-foot space, which will serve as a collaborative workplace for artists and creative entrepreneurs.

"I think there's always opportunities no matter what your setbacks are," said Boatright, whose own artwork specializes in portraiture paintings of animals. "This place definitely offers us a great amount of opportunity and we can do things we couldn't do before."

Most art studios and galleries are located in the heart of downtown or bordering areas to the east and west, Boatright noted.

Canton Creator Space will introduce the south end to more people while extending First Friday festivities downtown, she said.

Boatright also hopes Canton Creator Space, located near the Hercules Apartments, helps establish an identity on Market Avenue S as the city's "Southside."

What is Canton Creator Space?

Other tenants at Canton Creator Space include Dingwell, a Canton-based photographer.

Dingwell, whose photography has appeared in the international fashion magazines Praze, Lybell, La Modele and Sarze, said he will have workspace at Canton Creator, but will continue to be a resident artist at Patina Arts Centre on Cleveland Avenue NW in downtown Canton, where he exclusively exhibits his work.

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Different memberships will be offered to artists at tiered rates, including coworking art spaces, semi-private areas and enclosed studios. Day work passes also will be available for artists.

For more information, go to https://www.cantoncreatorspace.com/?public&. Canton Creator Space also can be reached at 330-935-5708 and neilweakland@gmail.com.

"We're targeting anyone from a fine artist to a graphic designer," Weakland said.

What kind of films will The CUT show?

Weakland plans to open The CUT Cinema in January, shifting the format from weekly screenings to a monthly film festival concept. Seating will accommodate 20 to 30 people.

A mobile screen can be moved throughout Canton Creator Space, he said. Independent and underground films will continue to be showcased. Filmmakers, actors and writers also will attend screenings and answer audience questions.

"It's a true indie experience," Boatright said.

Community outreach on the south end

Boatright plans to involve the community with Canton Creator Space through workshops and events.

She also has reached out to DoubleTree by Hilton, Hercules Apartments and the National First Ladies Library & Museum about having art-focused programs and activities for their clientele.

Educational space will be available for small groups, Boatright said. Community workspaces also will be available for special events, including birthday parties, bridal showers and office parties.

Opening a door to creativity

Boatright and Weakland both salvaged old wooden doors from the Sixth Street building where they were previously located. Property owners were going to discard the doors.

Boatright admitted the doors may serve as a metaphor for her studio's relocation.

"You can either choose to make things where you make a passage for yourself or you can choose to make a barrier," she said. "And I'm not someone who likes to stop."

Boatright repurposed the doors as a canvas, hinging several together and hanging her artwork on the painted doors for a vibrant, multi-colored presentation. They also serve as a dividing wall.

The new studio space also has character.

Retro tile flooring is a stylistic souvenir from the former Studebaker dealership, which opened in the early 1930s, she said. Eppy's Chevrolet also had been located there.

"It has history and adaptability," Boatright said of the building.

Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and ebalint@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Studebaker showroom reborn as Canton Creator Space art studio, gallery