Blackberg Creative Studio Opens on Asheville’s South Slope

A new business is coming to 120 Coxe Ave on Asheville’s quickly growing South Slope. Neighbor to Vortex Doughnuts, Wicked Weed, and Twin Leaf Brewery, the new BlackBerg Creative Studio offers customers something other then beer and food. BlackBerg caters to the creative types that are always on the look for new and different crafts. The brainchild of Stephanie Mergelsberg, this new spot is a hybrid of craft store, classroom space, and studio space open to anyone with a project to use.

Part of the inspiration to open up BlackBerg was frustration at not being able to find certain fabrics and notions in the area. As a self taught crafter who was trying to figure out how to make a living in Asheville, Stephanie felt there were things missing in the Asheville craft scene. She started up craft afternoons, which gathered crafters and encouraged them to work on their projects and meet other similar minded locals. These afternoons grew into craft evenings, held at Metro Wines on Charlotte Street. Out of this collective, BlackBerg Creative Studio was born.

The main goal of BlackBerg Creative is to offer artists an opportunity to get out of the house and take advantage of studio space and equipment that would otherwise not be available them. Self employed artists are a large part of collective Asheville, and working from home can be isolating and sometimes stifling. BlackBerg Creative Studio aims to solve that problem. However, you don’t need to be a professional artist to take advantage of all this new studio offers.

Workroom rentals are not the only thing that this new creative space offers. Mergelsberg is in search of teachers to conduct classes in the studio’s ample classroom area. BlackBerg Creative not only offers studio space and classes, but there is a selection of craft supplies available as well. Starting out with a focus on fiber and textiles, the studio will carry small quantities of yarn, knitting, crochet, and similar supplies. Featured artists will also offer their wares for sale, and Mergelsberg has brought in an array of fabrics not found in other Asheville stores. Cloud Nine Fabrics come in a variety of appealing patterns, and all are organic cotton.

BlackBerg Creative Studios is hosting their grand opening party tomorrow, Friday March 20th, at 5 pm. Stop on by and check out the space and see what this new studio has to offer. There will be beer from Hi-Wire, wine from Metro Wine, and a variety of doughnuts from Vortex. Are you proficient in a craft that you are passionate about? Ask about teaching classes while you are there.

Give a warm Asheville welcome to this new creative space, and see what BlackBerg Creative Studio brings to Asheville’s South Slope.