Artist Residency
Wednesday October 21st - Saturday October 24th
Member & Donor Appreciation Night: October 22nd 6:30-8:30pm
General Public Open House: October 24th 4-7pm
Sculpture reveal, demos, shop tours.
We’re thrilled to announce the second year of ShopSpace’s Playdate Residency Program!
After an incredible first year of bringing artists into our community, we’re excited to continue the program with two outstanding artists, Ben Galata and Evan Lightner. This year’s residency will once again create a unique opportunity for artists to spend time at ShopSpace, develop new work, and share their creative process with our members and the broader Raleigh community.
For years, ShopSpace has been honored to host talented instructors and makers from across North Carolina and beyond. Our Artist Residency Program builds on that tradition by giving artists the space, time, tools, and community to explore their work—while giving our members and the public a rare glimpse into the ideas, experimentation, and craftsmanship behind the finished pieces.
We’re incredibly excited to welcome Ben and Evan to ShopSpace and to continue weaving artist residencies into our programming for years to come. We can’t wait to see what they create!
Meet this Year’s Artists
Ben Galata
Ben Galata is a blacksmith, metal fabricator, and designer based in downtown Raleigh, NC. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from NC State University’s College of Design in 1995. While studying at NC State and for several years that followed, he took classes at the Penland School of Craft, where he was first introduced to blacksmithing, setting him on the path to his metalworking career. He established Galata Designs in 1997 and has since created a body of one-of-a-kind forged and fabricated metalwork for clients and collectors. His work includes architectural elements, furnishings, and sculpture for residential, commercial, and public spaces. Drawing on traditional metalworking processes and informed by a contemporary design sensibility, each piece strives to bring together thoughtful design and fine craftsmanship.
Evan Lightner
Evan Lightner Studio has been designing and creating custom furniture for individual and commercial clients for nearly three decades. The studio’s practice draws on traditional handcraft, experimentation (with periodic failure), the advantages of veneer, and the occasional esoteric notion.
What began as a sideline pursuit evolved into a full-time career in the late 1990s. Evan continued to develop his design and woodworking skills through successive assistantships at Penland School of Craft and the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship.
Alongside his studio furniture practice, Evan has worked in antique restoration, conservation-grade frames, exhibit design, corporate cabinetry, and teaching.
