Make It In Napa Survey

 Space Needs Survey for:

 Maker, Creative, and Artist                       Business Owners and Individuals

Welcome Artists, Creatives, Makers/Artisan Manufacturers and Business Owners!

Thank you for your interest in the Make It in Napa initiative to support makers, creatives, artists, businesses and manufacturers.

The space needs survey is now closed. 

To learn the results of this survey and the resulting recommendations for new creative space in the city of Napa and to view the related Creative Space and Local Manufacturing Action plan presented to Napa's City Council on January 18, 2022, visit Make It In Napa. You can also contact the City from that page to learn more and to stay involved in the Make It In Napa initiative.

If you create or make things, (whether unique works or a small-batch, handmade products); if you pursue your work as an individual or operate a  business; if you consider your practice to be a form of art, craft, cultural/heritage preservation, or creative expression, then we want to hear from you. We hope to hear from anyone who considers themselves an artist, maker, creative or cultural worker and who...

  • Has a sincere commitment to their creative/maker-based work;
  • Makes or creates works or products that are artistic, creative or functional, or all of the above! (woodturners, furniture makers, milliners, potters, writers, leather workers, artisanal foods/craft beverages makers, painters, performers, photographers, jewelers, floral arrangers, musicians, stylists, designers, metalworkers, etc.);
  • Engages in any creative/artistic/cultural pursuit including administrative, museum, heritage preservation or educational work in the field;
  • Has or is developing a body of work or is actively training, practicing, and/or making;
  • Comes from any walk of life;
  • May or may not..
    • make any income from their creative/maker-based work;
    • operate a business in support of their work;
    • have employees;
    • create or practice full time.

In an effort to grow its creative and local manufacturing sectors, the City of Napa engaged nonprofits Artspace and PlaceMade in 2019 to assess the potential for a jointly developed facility that would offer affordable manufacturing and production space, creative work and studio space, and housing for the people who make things in Napa. The study findings were encouraging and set the stage for the City’s next step, a “Creative Space and Local Manufacturing Action Plan”.

In 2020, the City secured an Economic Development Administration (EDA) Grant and re-engaged PlaceMade and Artspace to create this plan. The team, working closely with local stakeholders, delivered a series of actionable steps that the City can use to foster the growth of new spaces, partnerships, policies and programs that support individual artists/creatives and their businesses, and manufacturers and their workers.  

The space needs survey conducted summer of 2021 is an important part of this Action Plan. It helps us assess demand for a potential new affordable mixed-use facility and understand what types and how many living and working spaces should be planned, what amenities to include, and what “affordable” really means to the region’s artists, creatives, culture bearers, and maker businesses.

More information about Make It In Napa

This project is possible by an Economic Development Administration Grant awarded to the City of Napa. 

The City of Napa is the hub of economic activity for Napa County, one of the most desirable places to live in the Bay Area and the center of one of the most-visited hospitality destinations in the United States. To spur economic growth and improve the quality of life for our residents, The City of Napa’s Economic Development Division is building on Napa’s exciting fortes as a successful tourism center, a hub of retail, healthcare, and production-oriented industries. We are thrilled to be working with two leading developers and consultants to advance our artist, maker, and manufacturing community.

PlaceMade, the Bay Area's leading non-profit real estate consultancy and developer for affordable and functional industrial space. PlaceMade, together with its parent non-profit organization SFMade, Inc., brings more than a decade of experience helping manufacturers start, stay, and grow in the Bay Area. Together, PlaceMade and SFMade advance shared prosperity in cities across the region by helping them build thriving local manufacturing ecosystems that sustain living-wage jobs for diverse local residents.

Artspace, a national nonprofit developer and consultant with a mission to "Creative, foster and preserve affordable and sustainable space for artists and arts organizations." It uses the tools of real estate development to create self-sustaining, long-term affordable living and working spaces for the individuals, businesses and organizations that make up a region’s creative sector. Artspace Consulting has advised over 300 communities on their space developments.  Artspace Projects Inc. has supported artist-led community transformation, representing a nearly $750 million investment in America’s creative-sector infrastructure.

A volunteer group of community stakeholders is lending their time and expertise to this effort. 

  • Jerry Curiel // Vice President at Morenita Foods
  • Chris DeNatale // Executive Director, Napa Valley Arts Council
  • Olivia Dodd // Entertainment and Arts Consultant; former Executive Director of Napa Valley Arts Council
  • Suzy Ekman // Founder & CEO Makers Market
  • John Hannaford // Artist/Musician; Chair City of Napa Public Art Steering Committee
  • Gordon Heuther // Artist; City of Napa Planning Commissioner
  • Michael Holcomb // Owner, Holcomb Brokers
  • Bill Kampton // Senior Vice President, Colliers International
  • Preston O'Connell // Harvest Properties, Inc., Real Estate Developer
  • Wayne O'Connell // President O'Connell Family Wine
  • Vin Smith // City of Napa Community Development Director
  • Bruce Wilson // Executive Director, Workforce Alliance of the North Bay
Placemade, Artspace, City of Napa