Art Studio Owner Finds Creative Way Around High Forest Hills Rent

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS -- Tiffany Pierce knew her children's art studio could add something special to downtown Forest Hills, all that stood in her way was a price tag - So she decided to get creative.

Pierce launched The Art Table Studio from her Forest Hills home in 2003 to offer "creative playdates" in 2003, but the mobile art studio has since outgrown it. She's dreamt of opening an Austin Street storefront for years, but commercial rent along the downtown strip costs a pretty penny.

Pierce would know. In the seven years she's lived in Forest Hills, she's watched business after business on Austin Street shutter because of the rising rent. When she searched for her own spot, property managers' quotes ranged from $6,000-$10,000 per month, not to mention the two months' rent and security deposit most wanted upfront.

"The rent is just so high," Pierce told Patch. "As a newcomer on the scene, I had a service of value for our community and I knew parents wanted this service - It was just, 'Now how do I get the resources to secure the location?'"

She found her answer in Red Pipe Cafe, a vegan coffee shop at 71-60 Austin St. whose owner agreed to let her hold art classes in his space, rent-free, in what Pierce called "a win-win for both businesses."

Children can join Pierce's art classes near the front of the coffee shop Mondays through Fridays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. if their parents spend a $10 minimum at the cafe, which Pierce calls the "Good Neighbor Fee." Parents also get a 10 percent discount on anything that costs over $10, she said.

The partnership, which Pierce began with Red Pipe Cafe in March, allows her to keep offering the creative children's space she said the area desperately need while drawing in more customers to the cafe.

During the 45-minute classes, children experiment with nontoxic, fine art materials like collages, chalks and oil pastels while learning about different artists and techniques, Pierce said.

"I bring education into the class, but it's more about the process than the final product," she said.

Each class costs $15 - plus the $10 "Good Neighbor Fee" - or can be bought in bundles for $10 each.

Pierce, who has a bachelor's degree in art and a master's in teaching it, opened The Art Table Studio after working as an art educator for more than a decade. The classes are her way of offering a creative art space for children that she said Forest Hills has lacked since Barnes & Nobles shuttered.

"That's where we would go for story time and playdates and a cultural center," she said. "That went away and parents were really sad about it."

Pierce hopes the classes will put her one step closer to her ultimate goal of opening her own brick-and-mortar studio one day. She's also in the midst of putting together a crowdfund to fully mobilize her art studio by partnering with New York City Public Schools an Parks departments to offer her classes citywide.

"I would love to see the community come together to create some sort of cultural center for kids...something where kids can be creative and it can be a neighborhood meet-and-greet play," she said. "My mission is to provide that place for parents and children."

Click here for more information classes at The Art Table Studio.

Lead photo courtesy of Tiffany Pierce/The Art Table Studio.