St. Louis artists have a new place to stimulate creativity and initiate projects. Opened in July by Carrie Goodson and Lohr Barkley, 3rdSpace offers a habitat where they can work, play, and collaborate. It also provides facilities, resources, and community-building opportunities through workshops, coworking, and event generation.
Goodson and Barkley purchased the building, located at 4601 South Broadway, in 2016. Their spacious digs previously served as the headquarters of the riverfront urban arts festival ARTICA for two decades. Goodson and Barkley remain involved in the organization, with Barkley serving as the organization’s board president and Goodson as a member of the ARTICA advisory board.
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Although the decision to open 3rdSpace had been in the making for some time, neither Barkley nor Goodson knew exactly what they were looking for. Passionate champions of artists across all media, the couple recognized that they wanted to host events, present unique programming, and serve as a home base for artists.
As they moved forward, they remained open to artistic possibilities without traditional specifications or boundaries. “We wanted a space we could do something with,” Barkley says. “We knew that having a place like this would be useful, valuable, and fun. We thought we would do something but did not have a plan.” With a rich connection to the St. Louis arts scene, 3rdSpace is redefining how local artists and creatives interact with one another. The space offers individual memberships, co-work memberships, and group/event rentals, in addition to public events that are free for members and available on a drop-in basis for a fee.
“Our space has a history of supporting the arts even before we owned it, “Goodson says. “We continued this by hosting events for us and art non-profits such as ARTICA. We saw an opportunity to create something as a husband-and-wife team in our space incorporating many of the things we already do. We get excited connecting new people and organizations and seeing what may come of those connections creatively.”
At a time when the city is littered with makerspaces and community hubs, Goodson believes 3rdSpace’s programming, community spirit, and kinetic energy make it special. “I think a lot of arts programming is happening in many spaces, from restaurants to bars to community centers. However, we are different in that we have a history in non-profit art events and are artists ourselves. So, we may be less formulaic or cookie-cutter than something birthed with the idea of profit first,” she says.
Speaking on the potential uses for 3rdSpace, Goodson remains open-minded about experimenting with the programs offered. “We have provided space for music videos, cello practice, spoken-word readings, plant workshops, and community meetings. We have also hosted events for small art non-profits, and membership and drop-in workshops featuring everything from fine art to figure drawing to crafting. We also have regular free events.”
Currently a haven for fire spinners, artists, writers, and folks who simply need a place to work and connect, Barkley believes the future of 3rdSpace is evolving. “Our audience is still growing. While the local arts community has been amazing, it has been exciting to see people who have not been part of an artistic community come in and have their eyes light up. That is fantastic,” he says.
In the long term, Barkley is optimistic about serving the community. He calls 3rdSpace a “nexus for creativity” where artists can come together from different backgrounds and experiences and find community and connection. “Getting access to space is hard,” he says “Sometimes artists don’t have a place of their own, so having a place where they can come and share is the biggest thing I am looking forward to.”
