Atithi Studios

Pittsburgh, PA (October 26, 2021) — Atithi, a three story building in Sharpsburg located at 1020 N Canal Street across from Redhawk Coffee, will launch Atithi Studios on its second and third floors on November 1. The first floor will be renovated over the winter to open as a community art space hosting workshops, rotating galleries and more in 2022. The goal for the space is to create an affordable, collaborative environment for artists from all backgrounds. Atithi Studios, the artist coworking portion of the building, spans the top two floors and includes 11 studios. Leases are month-to-month to provide flexibility to artists. Pricing ranges from $350/month for an 80 square foot space to $500/month for 200 square feet. A podcasting studio will be available both to artists leasing space and to the public for a small daily fee. A fully functioning photography dark room on the second floor is expected to open in winter and will offer time slots for the public to rent the space. Some spaces are already leased and available spaces are being actively leased. “Atithi is bigger than just creating art, it's about creating relationships and developing skills to help our community members in achieving their dreams — whether that’s becoming a full time artist or continuing to hone their craft in a safe and supportive environment,” said community director Corey Ochai. The building will be managed by Ochai, a painter born in Braddock and a longtime resident of Sharpsburg. He met Atithi’s founder Sukanta Nag as he was envisioning the plan for the building across the street from it at Redhawk Coffee, they instantly connected on the dream for the space. The word “atithi” means guest in Bangla and was chosen by Nag’s nieces in Bangladesh, inspired by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore’s short story by the same name. The story details the journey of a boy who chooses the life of a wanderer over the comforts of societal norms.