Phoenix Trades Depot

Specialties

The Phoenix Trades Depot is a multipurpose facility focused on use by creative individuals in the arts and trades aiming to become an important part of the east Austin community through the integration of arts based events, a store front and gallery for local artisans, active micro-​business space, open air markets, and affordable rental space for outside organizations and events.

History

Established in 2011.

The Phoenix Trades Depot was a project imagined by the owner, Laura Cullin. When Austin Lumber Co (an East Austin family business for almost a century) had burnt to the ground several years ago, Laura decided to rebuild Austin Lumber, but re-​purpose the property into an incubator of local, micro-​business (staffs of five employees or less). Renting affordable work space to the people who need it the most.

It became apparent that artists and crafters fell under this vision as well, through the involvement of artists, Justin Telepak (owner of Indio Arts and Belize Chair), Aaron Bir (owner of Sequential Stutter and painter/​illustrator), and Lance Roberts (aka DJ SiloSix) during the East Austin Studio Tour in 2011.

After having worked together during that event and through several meetings afterward, the hardware store was transformed into a permanent gallery space (with new shows planned every month) and artist space rental is now the major focus, along with micro-​business space rental.

Meet the Manager

Aaron B.

Manager

Aaron Bir is an artist living in Austin, TX. He has been a professional illustrator, cartoonist, and painter since 2009, after spending two years learning about community building, egg collection, goat herding, farming and other rural endeavors. He currently pretends to be very urban but this is a lie. It’s not a very good lie, either. Pretty obvious, really.

Aaron worked as the Art Director for the comic anthology series, the Gathering by Grayhaven Comics, has been published several times as a freelance illustrator, continues to do graphic design, and has a very delayed comic, Thomas the Headless Boy (a collaborative effort with Jeffrey Burandt) being released by TripC​ity​.net. He spends most of his time curating a new Austin art gallery and micro-​business incubator, known as the Phoenix Trades Depot.