Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184230
1 0 4 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 9 moving along, other connections being made and what I think is, the creative engine has changed but it's starting to run on high test. There's a lot going on." Yen-Ting Chiu and her husband, Bryan Beck, moved to Macon last year, and in November opened StARTup Studios on Riverside Drive, near Franklin Street. Chiu primarily works in ceramics and Beck in glass. The two started StARTup with three-dimensional artists in mind, but studio space is open to all, as is gallery wall space. They also offer classes and community engagement events. "We wanted to open a place where artists could get out of their home studios, as well as a place to help grow the art community and engage and teach the wider community what it means to be an artist and create," Beck said. "Our business is more of a lifestyle. ... The reason we chose Macon was because after visiting several times we saw something was boiling here, about to spill over. We saw how the art community is growing quickly and that people are actually doing things." A mile or so away downtown is The Ampersand Guild, a membership artist guild with studio space on the east end of Cherry Street. There is also gallery space, a rentable theater-music space and rentable photo studio. Ampersand's history goes back three years, but it was just one year ago they had a grand re- opening downtown on Cherry. Director Daniel Montoute is most often found at the end of a long gallery hall at Ampersand, standing behind the sales counter. Behind that counter is his own studio space, one of a half-dozen studio spots. He's typically bouncing between working on one of the colorfully striking portraits he's known for and answering the phone or replying to emails. "Downtown is definitely continuing to grow and the number of artists grows with it," he said. "That means demand for space to work grows. There's excitement as things push forward. I used to work privately, but I've gotten used to being in the moment in front of my painting as COLIN PENNDORF AND BROOKE SCOTT AT OCMULGEE ARTIST GUILD BRYAN BECK MACON ARTS ALLIANCE