Fall River's new SoCo Art Labs fosters creativity and collaboration
FALL RIVER — What began as a blank canvas is slowly mixing things up in the city, as a new home for the region's vibrant arts community.
SoCo Art Labs — promoted as an artist co-working space for creative minds — has been painting the town red (and yellow and blue and more) since its launch in October.
And they continue to make an impression, as owners Nelson and Jennifer Rego seek to fill a void in Fall River — particularly the South End — when it comes to affordable artist space and a gathering place for makers of all kinds.
"There's not a lot in the South End when it comes to art. ... everything is concentrated on the waterfront and the center of the city," said Nelson Rego. "We want to bring something to the South End of the city that's been missing."
On Tuesday, Jan. 16, youth from YEAH! Corps were hard at work on a new mural inside the 145 Globe St. space illustrating SoCo's motto: "collaboration over competition."
Their motto encapsulates SoCo's mission of providing a supportive community dedicated to helping local artists thrive and achieve their creative goals.
"Our goal is to help our artists grow to the point that they don't need us anymore and have their own studio or retail shop. We think of ourselves as a little incubator," Nelson said.
Got its start with Little Miss Art
According to Nelson, SoCo was inspired by their daughter Amalia, a 13-year-old budding artist and entrepreneur who goes by the name Little Miss Art.
The eighth-grader at Argosy Charter School has been selling her pour paint artwork at places like Southcoast Open Air Market and Fall River Farmers and Artisans Market since age 8. In their efforts to support their daughter's passion, the Regos connected with other local artists and learned their struggles, the most prominent being a lack of options for inexpensive studio space.
"So we had this idea of creating a community of artists, where they would have a place to work, collaborate and sell their art and make it affordable," Nelson said.
In May, Nelson, a Fall River resident and native of Sao Miguel, Azores, quit his job as an engineer at Ocean Spray to focus on building SoCo.
Aside from SoCo, he and his wife Jennifer, a city native, run Three Rego Creative, a website and social media management company that specializes in working with startups and small businesses. Their company designed the website for Mayor Paul Coogan's recent mayoral campaign, Nelson noted.
Building with unique history
The pair had a specific vision in mind in their search for a place for SoCo to call home. As a former textile designer at the long-shuttered Quaker Fabrics in Fall River's South End, Nelson noted the first criteria was that it should be a mill space. "I always loved the mills," he said.
They found the perfect spot inside the Tuscan Building — a beautiful 3,300-square-foot space with lots of windows and natural light for artists, as well as some interesting history.
Before churning out creative pieces of art, their Globe Street space was a maker of yo-yos. Built in 1887, the mill building is owned by Alan Amaral, who in 1983 founded Yomega yo yos, which grew from a small Fall River-based family business into an internationally recognized brand.
The Tuscan Building currently houses a martial arts school, a print shop, a community health center, and office space for Three Rego Creative.
How does SoCo work?
SoCo offers a place to create for artists who work with everything from paint to textiles, woodburning, technology and more.
Their Work Area has space for 20 artists, each with a dedicated work bench, where they can leave all their tools and materials, and have access to seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
SoCo also features a Technology Lab with large format printing and scanning and computer stations for digital artists and a Flex Lab that can be used in multiple ways, primarily for those who teach to hold workshops and classes. Right now, the Flex Lab, which can seat up to 50 people, is being utilized for photography classes and shoots, as well as paint nights, presentations, and soon the production of a podcast show.
"A lot of people see art as just visual, to us art has so many different mediums," Nelson said.
Flexible month-to-month memberships range from $100 to $250, depending on which area or equipment you would like to utilize. All members have access to WiFi, as well as a lounge area to relax and a kitchen.
The space is staffed at all times during business hours so there is always someone from SoCo on hand to assist. Right now, that staff consists of Nelson and his wife Jennifer, but they are seeking to hire for two full-time positions and two part-time positions at some point this year.
SoCo is also kid-friendly as well as pet-friendly. Artists are encouraged to bring their children with them to hang out at the space while they work, and one artist is often accompanied by her dog.
The result is a "more of a community, a family atmosphere" that feels less like a studio and more like a second home.
Access to affordable studio space
According to Nelson, there are currently 10 artists who utilize the work lab and five who take advantage of the flex space for classes and training.
While their focus is on bolstering opportunities for Fall River artists, SoCo's reach extends well beyond. It draws creators from as far as East Providence, Dighton, Rehoboth, Dartmouth, New Bedford and the Boston area.
One SoCo artist makes the haul from Canton everyday — a roughly 50-minute drive — because available options in and around Boston were too pricey, Nelson said.
The Regos have even received inquiries from folks in South Kingston, R.I., and Worcester who were looking for SoCo to set up spaces in their towns.
"There is a need," Nelson said.
The art lab has even caught the attention of some notable visitors, such as Rep. Jake Auchincloss, who recently made a surprise stop at the studio while in town for the mayoral inauguration.
During his half-hour stay, Nelson said the congressman chatted with artists and asked a lot of questions about the needs of the artist community in Fall River and what he could do to help.
"It was really cool to see someone as busy as he is taking the time to come see our space," Nelson said. "He was very impressed."
Mayor Paul Coogan and Reps. Alan Silva and Carole Fiola have also popped into SoCo since its debut to show their support, which is important especially in terms of getting grants for artists.
While eventually expanding would be great, Nelson said right now they remain focused on building their Fall River art hub.
Supporting artists and creating community
According to Nelson, SoCo doesn't take any commission if an artist sells one of their pieces on display there. The same goes for events hosted there — artists keep 100 percent of ticket sales. All that's asked is their monthly membership.
"We try to help them make as much income as possible," Nelson said.
SoCo is always looking for exciting ways not only to support its artists but engage with the community.
In addition to its partnership with YEAH! Corps, a city nonprofit that aims to employ under-resourced youth through art and design, Nelson said they have some fun things in store for 2024.
They are working on organizing art classes and camps for kids, and the wheels are turning on plans for outdoor events for the neighborhood once the weather warms up.
By June, Nelson said they are hoping to host some vendor fairs, with live entertainment and food trucks, in their parking lot.
The Regos are also looking at additional space in the building to fit other artists' needs - including a place for music, which SoCo is looking to get going this year.
Whether a member or not, the door to SoCo Art Labs is always open.
SoCo welcomes the public to come in, scope out the space, talk to artists, and purchase work from the artists directly.
When can I visit?
See for yourself what SoCo Art Labs is all about by dropping by their 145 Globe St., space. They are open Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Get a peek at what they have to offer, including a list of their upcoming public events and classes, at https://socoartlabs.com or by visiting their Facebook page.
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: SoCo Art Labs brings affordable co-working artist space to Fall River
