Over on Margaret Street in Five Points is a collaborative space of six artist studios owned by well-known local power couple Fitz Pullins, of Fitz Pullins Interiors, and Steve Williams, artist and CEO of Harbinger. The focus is on artistic collaboration. “Community over competition is so important,” says Pullins. “Having a house full of creatives helps you to be more creative as an artist and opens your mind to other possibilities.”
Currently, Margaret Street Studios is home to Fitz Pullins Inventory Room, Pullins’s interiors, décor, and events showroom; The Greenhouse, a plant boutique featuring succulents, plant food, and cheeky plant-lady apparel (owners Lauren Henry and Jennifer Ness are expanding into a plant bar—where customers can shop and plant gaze while sipping on beer, wine, or coffee—set to open this summer at 200 Riverside Avenue in the Brooklyn area); Michael Walther, a graphic designer who is returning to Jacksonville from a 20-year stint in New York City; Ashley Woodsen Bailey, creator of internationally-sold fabric, wallpaper, and art; Celeste Burns, a photographer specializing in events and weddings; and painter Mere Mason.
The inaugural opening to the public, dubbed Market on Margaret, took place in August 2021 and saw some 300 people in attendance. Williams and Pullins have been planning more regular public events, but visitors can always pop by the studio spaces during each artist’s posted visiting hours. Pullins says they are holding open studio events quarterly, and have plans for a larger, monthly market as well as dinners on the porch overlooking the park.
Pullins and Williams have six more studios that are available in the space next door at 2008 Riverside Avenue. The parking lot they plan to use for outdoor events is in between the buildings and Pullins says the studios “are raw and ready to go for artists to go wild.” They also have a waiting list available for the original studio building, which Pullins calls “the house.”
Along with the plans for future artists and events, Pullins says they would love a full event planner to join their team, reiterating that they “want the space to remain collaborative and not competitive.” He adds that he and Williams will likely “continue to try and curate the creatives to make sure it all vibes.”
Pullins and Williams also own Florida Mining Gallery, so keep an eye on Instagram—their typical platform to announce events—for updates on Margaret Street Studios and upcoming art exhibitions at the gallery.
1732 Margaret Street. Visit @margaretstreetstudios on Instagram or email fitz@fitzpullins.com.
