Equinox Studios is home to over 200 artists and artisans. Within the walls of Equinox’s many buildings are dancers, ceramicists, painters, leather workers, wood workers, blacksmiths, printmakers, and all manner of dreamers and doers.
Equinox Studios was founded in a World War II era factory in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. Originally built to manufacture Norden bombsights (the crosshairs that bombardiers look through to zero in on their targets), the factory was considered a military secrets building throughout the war. After the war it became a machine shop for a variety of products and in the late 1960s became MasterMark, a printing and engraving company. MasterMark’s signs, cards, brochures and plaques can still be seen around the building today.
In 2006, Equinox Studios made the building its home, clearing out the detritus of 75 years of a working factory and restoring the heavy timber, post and beam architecture back to its original glory by exposing the wood floors, ceilings and beams.The building, known today as Big Blue, became home to 38 studios and shops. The 50 new tenants were blacksmiths, metal sculptors, painters, ceramic artists, woodworkers, leatherworkers, glass blowers, photographers and much more in between.
In 2014 and 2015, Equinox Studios expanded into three adjacent buildings on 5th Ave S. – growing to almost 100,000 square feet. This Creative Industrial Complex is now home to over 125 tenants, dance rehearsal and performance spaces, and painting schools. On any given day, 200 people come through Equinox to create, learn, engage, inspire and experience the arts in the place where they are made.
In 2021 Equinox Studios merged with Watershed Community Development and switched from its unique tenant-owned model to a community-owned model in order to expand and to further combat displacement. This nonprofit model will cultivate long-term community wealth through thoughtful real estate acquisition and development; community engagement and ownership; space for small business, nonprofit, and artistic growth; and programming that builds relationships within and between Watershed, the Georgetown neighborhood, and the greater Duwamish Valley.
Equinox Studios is home to a vibrant, collaborative community. It continues to grow and will continue to partner with public and private entities to facilitate the creation and preservation of affordable arts and cultural spaces, and support the communities that sustain those spaces.
Equinox Studios is open to the public every Second Saturday of the month as part of Georgetown Art Attack. 6555 5th Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98108.
Equinox Studios hosts two annual art events. The first is a late summer outdoor street art event called Very Out In The Open House. Equinox artists and guest artist line 5th Ave S to sell their art and share their creativity. Music, food and performances fill the street with energy and activity. The second annual event, held in December is called Very Open House. Started in 2006 this event is a Seattle staple. With upwards of 7,000 people attending, over 175 artists, live music, marching bands, fire performers, poetry in dangerous places, food, drinks and an air of wonder and unexpectedness this event fully encapsulates the wild, wonderful nature of the Equinox community of artists.
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