JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new business in Jacksonville is providing residents with a creative outlet to express themselves and spend their free time.
SafeHouse Jacksonville is an event hall-turned-art studio that gives everyday people the opportunity to create unique art.
News4JAX spoke with Owner and Founder Joseph Jefferson and a few of the SafeHouse Jacksonville employees during Saturday’s morning show.
“SafeHouse is a creative space. We’d like to think of ourselves as a local resource for entrepreneurs and creatives,” Jefferson said. “We host different classes teaching different styles of art. So tufting rugs, 3D printing, we want to empower the local creative community.”
RELATED | Positively JAX: RichHER Foundation helping women reach their full potential
SafeHouse Jacksonville is located on North Main Street, an area that News4JAX records show has been the center of multiple shootings, some fatal.
Marquis Walker, production manager with SafeHouse, said this creative space is also an outlet to support the youth and everyday people in Duval — looking to learn more about art.
Services include developing skills in painting, screen printing, videography, and photography, in addition to renting the space.
“It’s a creative event space for all people in our community to enjoy,” Walker said.
Data from the National Library of Medicine shows that art can be used as a form of therapy. In fact, art therapy can help people express themselves more freely, improve their mental health, and improve interpersonal relationships.
Jordan Milligan, the shop manager, said that’s part of the foundation that SafeHouse is built on.
“Everybody can feel safe just to come express themselves creatively,” Milligan said.
SafeHouse Jacksonville is located at 3115 North Main Street.