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Bespoke House Artisan Community! Film Coast Creative Class

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Everyone is creative — we just need the space to prove it.
Bespoke House is more than a studio or gallery — it’s a cultural hub where Jacksonville’s Film Coast Creative Class can build, grow, and thrive. Now, we’re raising funds to secure a game-changing new facility: a historic 4.5-acre campus with classrooms, media suites, and the potential for live/work housing, sports courts, and large-scale immersive experiences.




Our Goal: Raise $200,000 to secure and develop this campus.

This facility will allow us to:

Expand our studio and coworking capacity

Host large-scale immersive experiences and festivals

Offer live/work residencies for artists

Grow our production, gallery, and educational programs

Bring new energy to a historic site with deep community roots



Current Success and Expansion Plans



Bespoke House currently operates two dynamic locations:



Main Campus at 4624 Park Street: Known for immersive art experiences, live productions, workshops, and a vibrant networking community.



1607 Blanding: The historic home of a Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist, now a venue for musical innovation and artistic expression as well as gallery and Live/Work Suites.

Our facilities have cultivated a community of over 50 active members and more than 2,000 supporters. With a waiting list of 30+ people eager for live-work space, the demand for our services is clear.

Strategic Financial Insights and Community Impact




Leveraging insights from the "ACE Cmte Financial Review 2023 Jax FL ," it’s evident that Jacksonville harbors untapped financial resources that could significantly benefit the arts community.

Bespoke House Expansion Financial Plan: From Grassroots to Legacy

Phase 1: Summer 2025 – Initial Capital Raise and Membership Drive

Goal: Raise $200,000

Timeline: June–September 2025

Allocation of Initial Capital:
• First-year lease commitment: $213,000
• Monthly utilities: ~$6,000 ($72,000/year)
• $200,000 raised covers facility down payment, insurance, and activation costs


Phase 2: Q4 2025 – Facility Activation and Studio Leasing

Target: Monetize Facility Space

Revenue Sources:
• Studio Rentals (25 rooms)
• $500–$1,250/mo
• Est. 20 rooms leased = $15,000–$25,000/mo
• Event Space Rentals & Workshop Hosting
• 10 events/mo @ $250 = $2,500
• Media Suite Usage Fees
• Bookings: 20/month @ $100 = $2,000

Total Projected Monthly Revenue by Dec 2025:
= $19,500–$29,500
Annualized Range: $234,000–$354,000


Phase 3: 2026–2028 – Expansion of Programs and Sponsorship

Target: Build to $1M in 3-Year Revenue

Core Revenue Streams:
1. Membership Dues
• $240k/year from 1,000 patrons
• $399.6k/year from 333 artisans
2. Studio/Facility Rentals
• $250k–$300k/year (studios, classrooms, galleries)
3. Sponsorship Packages
• Event + stream naming rights:
• $150–$500/mo sponsors
• $7,500/year gallery sponsorships
• Goal: $100,000/year total sponsorship
4. Educational and Immersive Programs
• Grants + public funding:
• Apply for NEA, Cultural Facilities, local CSG programs
• Use data from the ACE report that shows every $1 spent = $9 return to the city.
5. Grants & Government Funding Access
• Cultural Service Grant Program (FY22 impact: $103.8M from $3.9M in grants).
• NEA & FL Division of Cultural Affairs
• Historic restoration and adaptive reuse incentives


ACE Report Takeaways Supporting This Plan:
• Economic Impact of Arts in NE Florida: $2.4B in 2015 alone 
• Return on Investment from Arts Funding: 9:1 ratio on cultural dollars
• Successful Public-Private Models: 910Arts in Denver used grassroots fundraising + permanent loans + nonprofit management
• MADE at the Armory (Jax-based model): Over $26M in projected investment, combining cultural, entrepreneurial, and educational programming in a historic facility


Final Vision: “City Within a City” for the Creative Class

This campus isn’t just a building. It’s the blueprint for Jacksonville’s new creative economy — combining live/work residencies, education, immersive festivals, galleries, and production under one roof.

The long-term goal is to create a self-sustaining cultural district — funded through memberships, media partnerships, educational programming, studio leases, and strategic grants — while directly contributing to Jacksonville’s economy, job creation, and cultural identity.



Why This Matters

The stereotype of the “starving artist” ends here. Bespoke House is building a new creative economy — one that values artistic work, pays creatives fairly, and offers platforms for visibility, income, and collaboration.

We’ve built a strong foundation:
Two campuses in Murray Hill

A waitlist of over 30 artists for studio space

A community of over 50 active members and 3,000+ supporters

A live-streaming platform sharing our events, interviews, and performances across the Film Coast and beyond




Now, we’re asking our community to take the next step with us.
Cancel the starving artist. Build a real future for art in Jacksonville.
Donate, join, or sponsor today and help us create a permanent home for Florida’s growing creative class.

GoFundMe link: gofund.me/bespokenfor

#CancelTheStarvingArtist
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    Organizer

    Michael Armanno
    Organizer
    Jacksonville, FL

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