Several innovative coworking spaces call Dallas home, but newly opened Creating in Cahoots fills a different void in the market on two accounts. First, the coworking media studio caters to, as the name suggests, creatives. Second, it’s located in McKinney.
Founded by Brian Pierce and two friends, Steven Rice and Jordan Hess, Creating in Cahoots opened in late May at 1827 W. Louisiana St. Pierce, a veteran of the advertising world, enjoyed collaborating with other creatives so much during the development of his web show, Seat Time, that he decided to create a coworking space for anyone who uses a unique medium to accomplish a goal.
“We wanted to do more than build a network of people who collaborate,” Pierce says. “We wanted a physical space for innovative workshops and brainstorming — a place where people can come together and flesh out ideas.”
An idea like CIC might not raise any eyebrows in Dallas, but for a suburb like McKinney, it’s a novel concept. A concept, Pierce says, that McKinney needs, thanks to the town's many creators.
“McKinney has a bitchin’ artist community,” Pierce says. “Not only do I live here and love it, but I also hate driving to Dallas to take workshops. Now I don’t have to.”
Prospective members submit basic information online before being allowed to tour the renovated bank building just west of downtown McKinney. The 2,442-square-foot space accommodates 30 in open seating, eight desks, and two enclosed office spaces at a time. Members pay $100 per month for open seating, $300 for a desk, and $500 or $750 (depending on the size) for an office. Studio memberships, hourly studio rentals, and hourly conference room rentals are also available.
And while CIC isn’t exactly turning away say, tech entrepreneurs or event planners, it hopes to attract graphic designers, photographers, writers, visual artists, and the like with benefits such as workshops and a rentable photography studio.
Members and nonmembers can rent the photo studio by the hour and enroll in workshops on subjects like marketing photography tutorials or an intro to 3D printing. Mentorship from an attorney is available for members seeking advice on digital laws and copyrights.
But even those who don’t need a coworking space can visit during a bimonthly art gallery opening. Wall murals within the coworking office rotate every two months to feature local visual art in the style of a pop-up art gallery. Fort Worth-based graffiti artist Sabrina Hart and chalk artist Kacey Dowd from Chalk of the Town have murals on display in the building until mid-July.
“This space is for the people who don’t want to high-five their cat when they make something cool happen,” Pierce says. “They want a community of collaboration, and we’re making it happen.”
