Filling a need for studio space for local artists, Roundhouse Studios opened in early 2025. The studios occupy much of the second floor of what remains of the historic Chicago and Northwestern Railway Roundhouse at 1741 Commercial Ave., just west of North Sherman Avenue.
With 33 studios and 14 cubicles, the space is a project of the Arts + Literature Laboratory, a contemporary arts space at 111 S. Livingston St.
Keeping with the railroad theme, the front atrium of the building has a caboose that you can climb aboard and explore. The artists’ studios are on the second floor, where you will also find “the only raccoon museum on planet earth,” maintained by artist Trent Miller.
Northsider Sara Meredith uses her studio to make prints from woodcuts. A large print with a woodpecker theme was inspired by a walk at Cherokee Marsh, where Meredith saw her first pileated woodpecker. At over 16 inches tall with a wingspan of 29 inches, pileated woodpeckers are North America’s largest woodpecker species. “I didn’t realize pileated woodpeckers could be found at Cherokee Marsh. It was so cool to see one,” she recalled.
Meredith also teaches hands-on workshops using “kitchen lithography” to make prints using everyday materials such as sharpies, foil and cola, used to etch designs into foil.
Rodrigo Carapia and Issis Maccias are artists who met at the Art Fair on the Square and share a studio at Roundhouse.
Carapia learned to paint murals as a youth helping his cousins in Mexico City. “I was really happy when, for the first time, they gave me a section of a mural to complete on my own,” he recalled. On moving to Madison in his teens, he got his start drawing portraits but soon moved on to bigger projects.
Carapia has completed around 50 vibrant, colorful indoor and outdoor murals in the Madison area. He also designed a bobblehead doll for the Madison Mallards baseball team.
In contrast to Carapia’s realistic images, Maccias creates paintings using intuitive abstraction. Rather than planning a painting in advance, she uses color and aesthetics to guide her as she adds color and shapes to a canvas. “I think of it like building a puzzle,” she said. Maccias also leads art activities for the disabled and elderly at Teach Arts for All Wisconsin.
Along with providing studios, Roundhouse Studios is home to the all-volunteer arts collective Communication Madison. The collective offers programming and events in a large space with art supplies and printing equipment.
The studios are open to visit by appointment with an individual artist or during events. To learn about upcoming events at both Arts + Literature Laboratory locations, visit the calendar page at artlitlab.org, where you can also sign up for event emails.
To inquire about renting studio space, visit About ALL > Opportunities on the website or contact Jolynne Roorda at jolynne@artlitlab.org. Most spaces rent for $250–$600/month.
