ug2msg

by Jo Malicdem

“We should do something we both know about,” said Alie Wu, a 23-year-old artist and younger sister in the dynamic duo that would build a community art space from the ground up. “We drew a Venn diagram, and at the center the only thing that overlapped between us was art. We were like, ‘okay, let’s do something art-related.’”

Vivian Wu, Alie’s older sister and business partner, comes from an education background, and works with children and families day to day. The 28-year-old enjoys practicing her art on the side. 

“Let’s just start something, anything. I was just like, let’s just do something with our lives. Especially when we’re in our 20s, it’d be fun,” explained Vivian.

Born in Taiwan and raised in California, Vivian and Alie have lived in New York for a few years. They’ve found that people often come and go in the city, making it a lonelier place to be. With the common struggle to make friends in mind, the Wu sisters figured a community space would allow people to meet and connect with one another. 

The idea of starting a business together was a recurring discussion over the past few years, but Alie was busy studying Motion Design at the School of Visual Arts, and Vivian was occupied with her day job at a family community center. In March, their timelines finally aligned.

“The timing just kind of felt right,” Vivian shared. “Everything happened really quickly.”

Finding a physical space was in order, and the Wu sisters gave 30 spaces a chance before finding the perfect location at 213 Troutman Street in Brooklyn. “There was a moment [when] we clicked and we looked at each other. I was like, ‘I love this place,’ and then you were like, ‘I love this place, too.’ And we knew at that moment,” recounted Alie.

Now dressed with exposed wooden furniture and sprouting potted plants, the studio came together with two months-worth of mental, emotional, and physical labor. The sisters painted, thrifted furniture – pretty much anything Alie and Vivian could do themselves, they did. 

Alie marveled at their furniture transportation antics: “We carried a sofa all the way from the East Village to Bushwick by train, which is crazy. Shout out to everyone who helped us on the way. So many strangers helped us.”

Bushwick was quick to recognize and embrace its new residents. “Throughout the week, people in the neighborhood started recognizing us. They were like, you two are the one that are opening a space around the corner,” Vivian explained. “We asked how they knew us, even though they probably saw us moving furniture every day.”

Studio45 officially opened on September 8, 2023. Its name comes from Vivian and Alie being the fourth and fifth-born children among their siblings. The Wu sisters’ goal of providing access to community through art has participants attending a number of events such as Paint Nights, Zine-Making workshops, Telephone Pictionary, and Terrarium Parties. 

While it’s been just a little over a month since opening, the Co-Founders have already learned lots: “[In the beginning,] we were so ambitious. We wanted to do so many things, we tried to do everything all at once. I realize it’s just not sustainable,” said Vivian. 

Alie recalled her initial noticings of the duo’s work dynamic: “Vivian would say something today and be like, ‘Can we do this?’ and ‘we’re gonna do things this way.’ And then the next second, she’s gonna be like, ‘nevermind, let’s not do that. We’re gonna do this, this way. We’re gonna do this, this way.’” Alie continued while Vivian chuckled, “I’m always just sitting there like, ‘Okay, I’m just gonna wait for you to finalize your decision. And then we’ll work on the last thing together.’” Their business plan is simple: both sisters must be happy with every decision made.

With Alie’s go-with-the-flow attitude and Vivian’s careful planning for every possibility, there is a steady balance struck in every project they set out to coordinate. “In general, we get along pretty well. We’re definitely still sisters, so we also hate each other,” Vivian noted. 

Plenty of Vivian’s time and energy is invested in her career in early education when she isn’t planning classes and events for the studio. Her day to day involves teaching art to children of all ages, with projects ranging from sculpting to painting: “I look forward to going to work every single morning.”

To keep her creativity on its toes, Vivian exercises her interest in silkscreen and fiber art: “I started making a lot of projects that made me want to be in the art field.”

Alie, on the other hand, recalls being an artist for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been doodling and drawing ever since I was a kid. I’ve always had sketchbooks. Our oldest sister would often tell me that when I was a kid, I just didn’t talk to anyone. And I would just sit in the corner and draw,” Alie reminisced.

Alie’s middle school years were when she really invested in drawing as a hobby. “When I bought my first drawing tablet that I could connect to my laptop, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool.’”

Today, Alie still finds joy in doodling and  animating with After Effects or in a frame-by-frame format. Her work reflects a lot of funny instances she witnesses in her daily life. Interestingly, she finds that various people who see her work find the same words to describe her style: quirky and weird humor. “[My art] puts a little smile on people’s faces. And that makes me feel really happy,” she explained.

Running Studio45 for a little over a month now has had the Wu sisters busy, challenging them to find a balance between their work life and their creative life. “I’m hoping that we can use the studio as our own studio as well. It’s either I establish this business process until it slows down a little bit, and then I can go back to my art, or I can try to do both at the same time,” shared Vivian.

The future of the studio is jam-packed with upcoming workshops – ones that are still seedlings of ideas, and some that are already penned into Vivian’s agenda. From children’s art programming, to fiber arts workshops, to gif-making and animating, the Wu duo have plenty in store. 

“I want everyone to know that the main goal is to have fun,” said Vivian, when Alie quickly cut in to note: “this business is an excuse for us to do whatever we want and for us to have fun. So if you’d like to have fun, come and have fun with us.” 

Vivian and Alie are excited to embark on this new adventure, learn the ins and outs of running a community art space, and invite artists to come and grow with them. They send their thanks to all the friends and strangers who helped build Studio45.

Events and workshops held at Studio45 can be found here. Alie’s art portfolio website can be found here.

Buy the UG2MSG team a coffee (or two or three!) here.

Jo Malicdem (they/them) is a writer and artist based in Brooklyn, NY. They are passionate about creating a culture of access and support amongst storytellers of color. See their portfolio here.