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Made on State helps artists grow businesses

Tom Dooley

When a group of professional artists teamed up with a property developer, the result was a new space in Rochester that brought the artists together under one roof — and boosted business for many of them.

Craig Webster, a partner with Webster Properties, calls Made on State “a match made in heaven.”

“I really wanted to make sure I put some people in here that were going to engage the area,” Webster said.

Larry Moss, the creative director of Airigami, said he appreciates how Made on State allows cooperation between artists.

“Being surrounded by other artists means there’s an opportunity for me to watch and learn and be part of something bigger than my own art.” Moss said.

Being part of the collective has allowed Jesse Hughson of Cyrcraft Customs to grow his business.

“I have four times as much space now,” Hughson said. “It allowed me to take on more work at once and it’s allowed me to take on bigger jobs than I could do in my home basement shop, and the visibility is a lot greater, too. I’m getting a lot more social engagement; I’m learning a lot from businesses that have grown.”

Allison Nichols, owner and framing designer of  Creativ Framing & Design, also said she’s taking in many more orders since she set up shop in Made on State.

“I’ve been able to design and create the type of space to facilitate the business and what I really want to give to my clients,” Nichols said.