Columbia artist Jackie Bobo works on a mix of paintings and installation projects in the downtown studio she shares with two other artists.

Because it’s located under the Taylor Street parking garage, the sound of traffic mixes with Bobo’s playlist as she works.

Before friends encouraged her to apply to use One Columbia’s Garage Studio, Bobo thought studio space was out of reach.

The Garage Studio allows three artists to use the space free of charge for a year. 

“Studio space can be very expensive,” Bobo said. “So, where I was in my practice, I didn’t feel that was an avenue that was even accessible for me.”

Rental contracts are often by the year. That means an artist needs to be confident in their finances for an extended time to sign a deal, Bobo said. There are also costs for utilities, supplies and materials to host public events.

A studio’s location is also important. Prime real estate in the city helps artists reach the public, Bobo said. 

“That’s where you’re going to encounter folks who are just a part of the Columbia community, but also (those) here for tourism,” Bobo said. 

Bobo has displayed artwork at public events in the studio, including a Christmas party and Happy Spooky Soiree during a First Thursday on Main festival. Happy Spooky is what Bobo calls her artstyle, which mixes bright colors with more serious themes.

Bobo, like many artists, worked from home before the chance for a studio came along. The three dogs that shared her home at the time sometimes involved themselves. One old piece by Bobo has a mark from when a dog ran by and flicked a paintbrush. 

Bobo’s home also lacked space. Materials sometimes had to get put away between sessions, unlike the studio, where supplies can be sprawled around as a piece progresses. 

“Being able to have all my stuff available to me as I’m creating is amazing,” Bobo said. “And to not have to live out of little boxes is great.”

Bobo has to pay for parking, but that pales in comparison to the price of renting commercial studio space, she said. 

Having studio space has been foundational to Bobo’s development as an artist, she said. It has given her mentorship, access to the public and mentorship from other artists.

“I continue to feel really grateful,” Bobo said.

One Columbia created the studio program after Executive Director Xavier Blake heard numerous artists complain about a lack of affordable studio space, Blake said. While many artists are fine working from home, others need more space to work on larger projects or just to have a separate area where they can better focus on their work, he said. 

“Today, costs are going up on everything, not just on spaces and rental spaces, but groceries, gas, whatever,” Blake said. “But artists also feel that crunch in terms of trying to find spaces to work.”

Public accessibility is also a plus, Blake said. A studio can give an artist more chances to interact with the community. And that community access helps promote the arts as a whole, he said.

“I think sometimes art can be appreciated a little more when you see the process that an artist goes through to create that work,” Blake said. 

One Columbia is looking for more properties that could be turned into free or discounted studio space, Blake said. In addition to cost, many buildings are not zoned for use as art studios, and new developments in the city are often residential, he said.

Some artists find working from home appealing.

Columbia artist Cam Moore enjoys working out of his midcentury home near Forest Acres. The house has a dedicated studio room Moore shares with his partner. But the screened-in porch and backyard also provide work space. Moore also likes to work outside, at the riverfront or somewhere downtown.

The accessibility of his stockpile of supplies is the best part of working from home, Moore said.

“It’s like a Michael’s exploded in my house,” Moore said. “So anything I could possibly imagine or create, somewhere in a box or a closet, I have the supplies.”

Creatively, that setup works great, Moore said. But the encroachment of art supplies into every corner of the house is a challenge. Sometimes Moore just wants a living room to be a living room and a bedroom to be a bedroom, he said. 

“Yeah, I get tired of art shit being around all the time everywhere,” Moore said.

Moore has looked into studio space before. But there are reasons he hasn’t invested in it.

He would not be a fan of sharing space with other artists, he said. He likes the art community but prefers to work in solitude, where his pieces can solely reflect himself. 

“I think that comes from being an only child and growing up as a creative,” Moore said. “A lot of the time, creativity was my only friend. It was my life partner. It was my family. It was my everything. So even as an adult now, I still think I keep that creative process where I just want to be by myself and make stuff.”

Price is another issue. Higher costs of living and an increase in commercial real estate prices are making affordable space rarer as time goes on, Moore said.

Paying rent for studio space also would pressure Moore to produce more than usual, putting the artistic integrity of his work in jeopardy, he said.

“What I fear is that the love and the joy will leave,” Moore said. “It wouldn’t be art. It would just be making stuff to make money.”

Moore sells his pieces but also works as an art teacher to make ends meet. 

Still, he would like to get extra studio space at some point, preferably close to home.

“I don’t want to leave my house,” Moore said. “But I want more space.”