I'm opening a small glass studio in Taichung this year. I found a glass art supplier in Taipei in late May. A shop with an apartment was available in a familiar part of the city. Infact, I rented the apartment my first year in Taiwan. It was my Taichung city weekend apartment while I lived in Wuchi. It's on a pedestrian mall called Soho Street in what I consider to be the middle of the city. The street is lined with a couple pubs, a sports bar, a pizza shop, and a few miscellaneous shops. A few of my regular hang-outs are now conveniently located near my studio and apartment. These pictures show the evolution of the shop. I had new lights installed by an electrician and then I patched, sanded, and painted the walls. The electrician, lights, labor, and paint cost me about $180. I'll probably invest another hundred or so on more glass shelves and displays. My rent is about $400 plus utilities which will come out to around $50-80. Not too bad for a small studio/shop where I can live upstairs.
My studio is the place on the left. That is a KTV or karaoke bar next door. Sometimes I can hear Chinese pop songs mumbling through my walls.
The studio with new paint all lights. You can see the wall where I need to install more shelves and displays.
My work space is along the opposite wall in front of the window. I want my workspace to be public and attract attention.
