Georgetown's

Art Machine

We've done it. We've broken the mold. Every way you can cut it, stamp it or imagine it. Molten steel. Melted paint. Unwoven thread. Papyrus, clay, lead, graphite, sound waves, poetic words. Painters, sculptors, fabricators, musicians, performance artists, book makers and every other letter of the artist alphabet have built a community unlike anything you've ever experienced. Located right on the edge of Georgetown in Seattle, Washington.

Visit us during the Georgetown Art Attack's monthly neighborhood art walk-every 2nd Saturday from 6-9pm, our annual Very Open House or any other time in between. Come talk to us, peek in our studios, have fun in our classes and join this artist enclave we call home.

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Our Past

The Duwamish People

The Puget Sound area was once home to distinct groups of people: the Inside People, Saltwater People, River People and Lake People. These groups bound together under the Duwamish name in response to traders’ and settlers’ arrival. Equinox Studios sits on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people. A people that are still here, continuing to honor and bring to light their ancient heritage. Seattle itself is named for Duwamish Chief, Chief Si’ahl. You can learn more about the Duwamish Tribe, the host tribe of Seattle and King County on this website: duwamishtribe.org.

WWII Roots

Equinox Studios was founded in a World War II era factory in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. Originally built to manufacture Norden bombsights (the crosshairs that bombardiers look through to zero in on their targets), the factory was considered a military secrets building throughout the war. After the war it became a machine shop for a variety of products and in the late 1960s became MasterMark, a printing and engraving company. MasterMark’s signs, cards, brochures and plaques can still be seen around the building today.

From Manufacturing to Art Community

In 2006, Equinox Studios made the building its home, clearing out the detritus of 75 years of a working factory and restoring the heavy timber, post and beam architecture back to its original glory by exposing the wood floors, ceilings and beams.The building, known today as Big Blue, became home to 38 studios and shops. The 50 new tenants were blacksmiths, metal sculptors, painters, ceramic artists, woodworkers, leatherworkers, glass blowers, photographers and much more in between.

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Our Present

The Expansion

In 2014 and 2015, Equinox Studios expanded into three adjacent buildings - growing to almost 100,000 square feet. This Creative Industrial Complex is now home to over 125 tenants, dance rehearsal and performance spaces, and painting schools. On any given day, 200 people come through Equinox to create, learn, engage, inspire and experience the arts in the place where they are made.

Community Owned

In 2021 Equinox Studios merged with Georgetown Community Development and switched from its unique tenant-owned model to a community-owned model in order to expand and to further combat displacement. This nonprofit model will cultivate long-term community wealth through thoughtful real estate acquisition and development; community engagement and ownership; space for small business, nonprofit, and artistic growth; and programming that builds relationships within and between GCDA, the Georgetown neighborhood, and the greater Duwamish Valley.

Our Present

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Our Future

More to Come

Equinox Studios is home to a vibrant, collaborative community. It continues to grow and will continue to partner with public and private entities to facilitate the creation and preservation of affordable arts and cultural spaces, and support the communities that sustain those spaces.

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Sam Farrazaino

The Man Who Made it Happen

Equinox Studios is the brainchild of Sam Farrazaino. He is an artist, developer, constructor and community leader. Sam has successfully reclaimed the spirit and utility of old buildings and new, creating environments in which artists, artisans and arts organizations can thrive in their own work and collaborate to build communities with art as the heart and soul.