A 2022 Guide to Studio Space for Rent and Makerspaces Near You

It’s funny that we tend to think of a lot of arts and crafts activities, and even creative hobbies in general, as things we do at home, but at the same time more and more crafters, artists and creative hobbyists have been looking for space outside of their homes in which they can create and even collaborate.

 We have seen a huge increase in interest recently in two specific areas:

1 – Makerspaces

2 – Artists and Crafters Studio Spaces for Rent

And yet it can be extremely difficult to find either great arts and crafts focused makerspace in your area, or nice, affordable studio spaces for rent.

I have put together a pretty comprehensive list of makerspaces and studios for rent in 16 major cities/metropolitan areas across the country, with full contact information for each place or organization.

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Table of Contents

• A Few Notes about our List of Makerspaces and Studio Rental Spaces
• Overview: Best Makerspaces and Private Studio Space Near You

I’m very proud of this list, not just because it was such a big job, that I wasn’t sure I’d ever actually complete 😁, but because it seems to be the only really exhaustive list of its type on the web today, and because I believe (and really hope) that it will be a big help to our readers and to artists, crafters and creative hobbyists everywhere!

So let’s explore some spaces, and along the way hopefully, I’ll answer some questions I hear a lot – like:

What is a makerspace?

Are makerspaces fun? (I  can answer that right now – YES!)

Where can I find the best makerspaces in my area?

How can I find art studio space for rent in my area?

How can I find an inexpensive studio to rent?

How much do working art studios cost to rent?

How can I get art studio space?

Can I use my studio as an office space?

How can I find the best creative studios or makerspaces near me?

A Few Notes about our List of Makerspaces and Studio Rental Spaces

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We’ll get to the big list in just a moment, but first, I thought it would be a good idea to explain and clarify a few things, and to give a few more ideas and resources for finding the best makerspaces and studio space – in the cities I’ve included and really anywhere else in the US or around the world.

How to Find More Local Listings

In addition to the specific listings below, there are a lot of places you can check to find great working studio space or collaborative makerspaces in your area, including:

• Crafts societies and clubs
• Craft supply stores – both their community bulletin boards and by asking the employees
• Bulletin boards on the campuses of, or in the neighborhoods of, art schools and universities/colleges
• Bulletin boards at local grocery stores, coffee shops and other small businesses
• Local newspapers

How to Find More Listings, and in More Places, on the Internet

Here I’m going to offer a few general search tools and location services active on the internet. These services don’t always offer the most up-to-date listings, and the results are often pretty impersonal, and maybe not screened in any way, but if you are outside of one of our selected areas they can still be a huge help.

• Makerspace Directory – specifically for makerspaces
• Stusu – specifically for art studio rentals
• Listings Project – art spaces and other visual arts-related listings
• Fractured Atlas – art spaces and other commercial space and real estate for creatives
• Peerspace – business spaces for rent, somewhat focused on artists and designers
• Yelp – general business listings with reviews
• Craigslist – general listings of all types, by city and area
• The Storefront – general listings of commercial spaces (my  link narrows down to working studios)

What I’ve Include in my Listings of Best Makerspaces and Art Studio Rentals

First we should define a makerspace – it’s years old now, but still somehow still feels like a brand new and exciting concept.

What is a Makerspace?

Makerspaces are collaborative creative spaces where people can work and create together, or even independently, and take advantage of shared space, tools and resources.

What’s the Difference Between a Makerspace, a Hackerspace, a Fablab, an Incubator, etc?

• Makerspace is a pretty generic term, but often focused on arts, crafts and makers like us
• Hackerspace is a collaborative shared workspace mainly focusing on computers and digital creativity
• Fablab, or TechShop, is a a collaborative shared workspace mainly focusing on high technology tools, inventions and creativity
• Incubator a collaborative shared workspace mainly focusing on business startups, new ideas and innovations and other business creativity

There are a lot of other terms people use for these kinds of collaborative shared creative work areas, and they often say one to mean another – kind of confusing!

Makerspace is especially kind of generic, and often refers to a space that is either pretty industrial or pretty scientific/high tech oriented. 

 What Did I Include?

So in my listings of the best makerspaces I am really focusing on makerspaces and studio space for artists, crafters and creative hobbyists. This can include sewing and any other textile work, painting and drawing, paper making, paper arts and book binding, photography, printmaking, woodworking, glass blowing metal work, welding and even blacksmithing, and lots more. 

• For a more complete listing of the various kinds of arts, crafts and creative hobbies, please see our article Creative Hobbies, Arts and Crafts for Adults: A Complete Guide

And for private artist studios, wherever possible I will include low cost options, and also non-profit and community organizations that help creative people find working space for rent. I will, though, also include some private companies, especially when their art studios are really cool and not ridiculously expensive. I also try to avoid studio space that is attached to prime retail gallery space, since they always seem more expensive and it may really not be beneficial.

For more specific details on any space – like whether the studio has a parking space, can be used also as a living space, has good and abundant natural light, wifi, security and maintenance, 24 hour access, available space for events and exhibitions, as well as the rent, terms and conditions, please use the contact information included below.

I will, again, look at sixteen cities and their metropolitan areas around the United States, including:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Boston
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Dallas
• Denver
• Detroit
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Minneapolis / Saint Paul
• New York City
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• San Francisco
• Seattle

 And now, on to the list!

Overview: Best Makerspaces and Private Studio Space Near You

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Atlanta, Georgia

Makerspaces

 Private Studio Rental

Austin, Texas

Makerspaces

 Private Studio Rental

Boston, Massachusetts

Makerspaces

 Private Studio Rental

Chicago, Illinois

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Cincinnati, Ohio

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Dallas, Texas

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Denver, Colorado

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Detroit, Michigan

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Kansas City, Missouri

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Los Angeles, California

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

New York City, New York

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Phoenix, Arizona

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

San Francisco, California

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Seattle, Washington

Makerspaces

Private Studio Rental

Thanks so much for reading our article! I hope it has been really helpful to you in finding the perfect space for your own creative pursuits! 

Please let me know if there are any great maker spaces or studio rentals I didn’t include – either in the cities listed above or anywhere else – so I can pass them along to the rest of our readers. And also please check out our website – Art Side of Life – for the best resources, articles, buyer’s guides and more for arts, crafts and creative hobbies of all types!

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Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am an artist, illustrator, founder of Art Side of Life®, and Top Teacher on Skillshare. Since 2009 I've worked as an illustrator, character designer, art director, and branding specialist focusing on illustration, storytelling, concepts, and animation. I believe that we are all creative in infinite numbers of ways, so I've made it my mission to teach you everything I know and help either wake up or develop your creative genius. Learn more about me.

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