Creativity in Bloom: Second April Studios

In studio 208 — on the second floor of Canton’s Second April Studios — LovelyInk Creative portrait photographer Jude Anderson puts together larger-than-life flower props for an upcoming art show. Her airy, roomy studio — in which she builds sets and conducts small business branding, family portraits and boudoir sessions — is just one of many working studios within Second April, an art gallery, event space, retail space and more.

“The benefit of a collective like this is that we are cheering each other on, championing each other, giving each other opportunities,” Anderson says. “It’s fun. It’s energizing. … It’s a big group of people, so I think we all get to learn from each other.”

Opened in May 2025, Second April is much more than a gallery — for the community and around 18 working artists, including muralist and painter Steve Ehret, it’s a place for creativity to flourish.

“It’s providing arts for the community and the community for the artists,” says owner Tim Carmany, who also owns the Hub Art Factory in Canton. “People can … be exposed to the stuff they’ve never seen before, and then also give the artists a place to revolve around, and a place to come and hang out and feel safe and inspired to create.”

While the second floor of Second April plays host to studios and a craft cocktail lounge called the Apothecary — for now, open only on Canton’s First Fridays — the first floor, its walls full of paintings, mixed-media pieces and more, has space for gallery shows and events such as figure drawing classes and a Christmas in July party July 18 from 5 to 10 p.m.

The first floor also serves as a retail space. Each local artist or vendor has their own unique area and most have a custom neon sign — including Erika Katherine Art & Design, selling prints, pet portraits and more; Uncle Archie’s Oddity Emporium, featuring strange and mysterious goods such as taxidermy animals, bones and antiques; and Lost Thread Vintage Clothing, presenting handpicked hats, shirts and other garments.

Decked out in retro carpeting and blacklight paint, the basement is the home of Canton Comedy Boom, an organization that supports and puts on local comedy performances — co-founded by Carmany’s sister, Lydia.

“People like that they can wander through the building and every 10 feet is a completely different environment,” Carmany says. “It provides a sense of, you’re surrounded by humanity.”

Carmany is the main curator of Second April’s artists and gallery shows.

“Exposing people to different art forms is huge. It’s very important to show off what we do as artists,” he says. “People want tangible art that they can go up and see, touch, hold and buy.”

On view through June 27 is “The Mugshot Collection,” a show that features around 20 artistic interpretations of celebrity mug shots — such as those of Jane Fonda, Justin Bieber and Robert Downey Jr. From July 3 through 31, catch Anderson’s solo show, “Paper Garden.”

“I love being in the space itself because of the community that it brings, and I think that’s something that we work hard to give everybody here,” she says. “I like creating art that way. It feels good to get to do it with other people.”

324 Cleveland Ave. NW, Canton, secondaprilstudios.org