Today we’d like to introduce you to Aneesa and Grant Zizzo.
Aneesa and Grant, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Studio 203 started as a daydream that we talked about one night over dinner. It was time for me (Aneesa) to find a larger studio space so I could host my own art classes and create larger artwork. There was an empty commercial suite in the building Grant worked at, and we asked the building manager if there were any plans for the space. It had been gutted by the previous tenant, all the way down to the subfloor and studs, but it was a huge space and had so much potential. We worked with the building’s contractor and drew up plans to create a clean gallery with white walls in the first third of the space, leaving the back part a little raw, which is perfect for studio workspace. As the studio slowly transformed into a beautiful gallery + workspace, we knew we wanted to share this space with others and create programming for our community.
We opened the space to the public in February, launching with an Open Studio event to celebrate the new space, with future plans for exhibitions and events. It is important to us that we offer thoughtful content for our community. Themes that we are exploring include: what defines textile art, how the internet affects our collective thoughts, and the politics of art history. Our business is still very young, but we hope to continue to create exhibitions and events that are meaningful to us and our collaborators in the coming months.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since we opened our business to the public earlier this year, just before the pandemic led to stay-at-home orders and business closures, most of our programming has changed. Instead of teaching workshops in our space, we have taught them online. Our in-person gatherings are postponed indefinitely, with the hope that we can reschedule them sometime in the coming months. We’re currently showing our third exhibition this year, with appointment-only visits alongside an online exhibition component on our website. Our business does not look exactly how we planned, but we are able to move forward with some of our main ideas, especially sharing art with our community.
Please tell us about Studio 203.
We are an artist-run space located in a unique commercial building that operates as a white-walled gallery in the front and a working studio in the back. We collaborate with forward-thinking individuals to create exhibitions and host workshops and events. Our current exhibition features a collaboration between artist Monica Lloyd and owner Aneesa Shami, who both use rescued textiles and discarded paper to create art. The artists worked on two sketchbooks together, collaging and drawing for several months during the pandemic, and then created larger work inspired by their sketchbook collaboration.
We’ve also partnered with Textile Arts | Los Angeles this summer, offering an online book club with a focus on craft and art,and plan to team up with other L.A. arts organizations for our programming. Recently, we worked with Fannie Sinclair to create an online experience for her BECS Beauties Intensive Showcase. Our vision is to support fellow artists by providing an affordable platform to share inspiring work with the community.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
It is extremely important to lift up grassroots art organizations, local artists, and creative small businesses. Supporting these voices by donating money or time, participating in classes, viewing artwork, or purchasing products helps individuals to keep making their art. By working together, we can all create a nurturing environment that carries our culture forward.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3440 Motor Ave
STE 203
Los Angeles, CA 90034 - Website: www.thestudio203.org
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @thestudio203
Image Credit:
All image credit: Emily Haring
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