Jinx Art Space is owned and operated by local artists and business owners Michelle Schutte and Django Bohren, and located at 306 Flora Street. Jinx is an artist collective in the heart of the Bellingham Arts District. The art and music venue has become a nexus for local artists and musicians since opening nearly three years ago when it quickly filled an important void in the Bellingham music and arts scene. The space has provided 14 work studios for visual artists and 3 practice spaces for artists and musicians with a broad spectrum of experience, a gallery to showcase monthly art shows, and an all-ages music venue for over 100 shows and around 300 bands in the last few years. Since opening, Jinx has received the Mayor’s Arts Award (nominated by the Bellingham Arts Commission), as well as Best Gallery from the Cascadia Weekly and an Appreciation Award from What’s Up Magazine for support of the arts.

Make.Shift is a Bellingham-based nonprofit established in 2008 that supports independent musicians through innovative and environmentally friendly programs. With programs such as bicycle-powered generators (used to power amplified music), and the Magic Van (available to local bands for touring throughout the PNW), Make.Shift has worked steadily towards their goal of supporting musicians while keeping the environment in mind. For some time, the non-profit has searched for a physical home from which to base these operations as well as provide additional arts and music resources to the community. The plan for a new space to provide affordable band practice space, a community silkscreening studio, a local art gallery, and a resource library, in addition to other prospective ideas such as a rentable darkroom, has been forming since the non-profit first worked towards a prospective lease agreement for a different address. Volunteers were forced to continue their search for a commercial space in downtown Bellingham when those negotiations fell through in February.

“We had checked out virtually any vacant space on the market that even vaguely resembled what we were looking for.” (Make.Shift Director Cat Sieh)

After hearing for several months of the non-profit’s struggle to find a space, Michelle Schutte contacted Cat Sieh and made a proposal. The resulting agreement means that Make.Shift will absorb the existing Jinx space, while expanding the business to incorporate the new projects and programs.

“Owning Jinx has been an extraordinary experience, but recently we have found ourselves wishing for more time and energy to devote to the project. We hadn’t even considered selling Jinx before I had a sort of epiphany. I realized that Make.Shift was looking for a space to do much of the same thing we’ve been doing at Jinx for years, but on a bigger scale, and that handing the business over to them may be the perfect solution to both of our problems.” (Jinx Co-founder Michelle Schutte)

“Jinx has earned a deep respect in our music and arts communities. We want to keep the programs that have made Jinx such a unique place, and to expand to create even more opportunities for artists and musicians.”
 (Make.Shift Director Cat Sieh)

The group plans to devote additional studio space for musicians, while encouraging current tenants to keep their studios. Schutte said she is confident that Make.Shift will work to retain the character of the space, and continue to provide a home for her current tenants.

“Jinx has a personality of its own in our community and selling it means handing over not only the physical space, but also all of our artists, renters, and supporters. The real value of our business can be found in our people. It’s a special situation, and I trust that Make.Shift understands that. I know that they will take what we’ve created, add their own ideas, energy, and volunteer-power, and make it even better.” (Jinx Co-founder Michelle Schutte)

At this point, Jinx and Make.Shift management hope to include Whatcom All-ages Arts and Music (WhAAM!) in the new space, but final arrangements to combine efforts have been put on hold pending negotiations.

“Jinx, Make.Shift, and WhAAM! have each operated separately for years, and the best case scenario will find us all in the same building. I’m certain that collecting all three organizations under one roof will create a force to be reckoned with. I’m just really excited to see what happens next.”

Schutte will continue to run the space through June 30, when Make.Shift will take over operations. The space will reopen with few changes in August. Make.Shift staff will work with Schutte and the existing tenants to create as few disruptions as possible during the transition process. Make.Shift will retain and incorporate the name Jinx Art Space.”>more