Art in action at San Francisco's 1890 Bryant St. Studios

""We have toy makers, ceramicists, jewelers, painters, drawers, charcoal artists, photographers," lists Catherine Mackey, painter and mixed media artist who works from studio #204. For Mackey, her space is both a retreat and a wellspring of inspiration. "It's great because I can close the door and get my alone space," she says. "I'm one of those artists that, to get my creative flow going, I have to be quiet. I can't, I mustn't see anybody.""

"Up in studio #417, jewelry designer Peggy Li meticulously centers a beautifully pale purple gemstone onto a necklace. Her journey began when she started making jewelry she wanted to wear herself. "People would stop me on the street and ask me where I got my jewelry," she recalls. That encouragement pushed her to turn her passion into a full-time business, one that now sees her pieces featured in television and film productions."

""If there's a sunny Friday evening, somebody will call a happy hour and we've got a roof terrace," she says. "People will tell you, 'Have you heard about this juried exhibition? Have you heard about this grant we can apply for? It's all this swapping of information, which is invaluable because there is no book about how to be an artist in San Francisco.'""

1890 Bryant St. Studios occupies a former mayonnaise factory in San Francisco's Mission District and houses more than 100 resident artists. The studios include toy makers, ceramicists, jewelers, painters, drawers, charcoal artists, and photographers. Individual studios offer private retreats for focused creative work while the building also supports community interaction and mentorship across experienced and emerging artists. Residents share information about juried exhibitions, grants, and opportunities, and gather socially on the roof terrace for informal exchange. Jewelry designer Peggy Li turned street compliments into a full-time business with pieces featured in television and film. The space balances solitude with collaborative energy.

Read at ABC7 Los Angeles