The Annex
The Annex supports emerging and mid-career Augusta-based artists by providing studio space at subsidized rates and by engaging artists in a collaborative, connected and creative environment.
The Annex offers individual artist studio workspaces as well as collaborative space, both inside and out. The program offers Annex artists opportunities to meet and begin conversations with curators, arts writers, collectors and visiting artists. Several times a year, at open studio events, the community is offered the opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain to see the creative spaces and the artists’ process.
Studio Rates
The Annex offers 24/7 access to individual studio spaces, a large shared collaborative space, private restrooms, a secured courtyard, parking and open studio events. All utilities (water, electric, and HVAC) are included.
Studio A-1
350 sq. ft., 1 skylight, 1 window, side entry + studio sink
$225/month
Studio A-2
300 sq. ft., no natural light
$175/month
Studio leases are annual and offer the option to renew month-to-month after one year.
Studios filled as of May 1, 2024
Studio A-2
Aort Reed
Aort Reed was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1982. His parents, being from two different parts of the world, created an interesting ecosystem for him to learn & dwell. His mom, Anna Phimsoutham, was a native of Bangkok, Thailand and his father, Oscar Reed, a native of Augusta, Georgia. As a child, Aort’s imagination ran wild with all kinds of colorful imagery and exciting ideas. Any surface that he could find automatically became his canvas. Whether it was blank pages at the beginning of a book, his grandmother’s recipes, or even the walls of his closet, he made sure that he expressed what was in his mind’s eye.
Being biracial had a big impact on Aort’s creativity. Combined cultures enabled diversity throughout his childhood which broadened his perspective and paved the way for the rest of his life and artistic journey.
After grade school, Aort attended three different colleges but ended up earning his BFA in painting and drawing at Augusta State University (AU). During the early years of his creative credibility, Aort’s work was selected for two juried art exhibitions, one in 2012 and another in 2014. This also marked the time period his work began to take off conceptually. As a result, his artwork became published in magazines, online platforms, social media, and news articles, and continues to be featured today. For example, multiple large-scale local mural works (including Georgia Cyber Center & Jackie M’s & Son Restaurant) have recently been shown in the 2020 Augusta Visitors Bureau Experience Guide as well as the 6 o’clock news on channel 12.
Today, Aort expresses that inspiration comes from multiple sources; “I could name multiple artists from throughout the history of Fine Art, but I think that would be too typical. Outside of artists, what really drives me the most is empiricism, emotions, and communication. All three sort of create somewhat of a diary or pictorial journal of the journey”.
Studio A-1
Syd Padgett
Syd Padgett currently lives in Augusta GA but grew up across the border of Johnston, SC. Syd has studied art at Lander University, USC Aiken and The Savannah College of Art and Design. He served as president of Artist Row, founded the Riverfront Arts Festival and served on the board of the Augusta Photography Festival.
Syd developed an interest in photography during a trip to the Columbia Zoo back in 2nd grade. Syd's current photographic obsession is a process dating back to the 1850's called wet plate collodion. This labor-intensive process was created in England by Francis Scott Archer. It involves a glass plate coated with a light sensitive liquid emulsion. The photograph is taken and immediately developed while still wet. Some of the equipment he uses is 100 years old while other parts are 3D printed, a wonderful mix of old and new.
Syd states “This unpredictable and complicated procedure takes so much time to set up and process. I have to go slow and be very meticulous. I usually get 4-6 plates an hour so I have to think carefully about composition and exposure. The “Spray and Pray” method of digital photography just won’t work”
@sightbound