'Creative space for creative people' is the cre8ery slogan.

"We're trying to bring the visual arts and the performance arts and craft and all that together in one space," says Jordan Miller, 28, who runs cre8ery along with local artist Shawn Berard. "It's pretty segregated around the city, all different groups clustered everywhere. We're trying to be open to everyone."

Originally from Carman, Man., Miller chose a career in art after participating in the Golden Prairie Art Council's artist mentorship program in 1996. She went on to obtain BFA honours at the University of Manitoba in 2002 and is currently finishing up the arts and cultural management program at the University of Winnipeg. Two years ago, while Miller was acting as president of Outworks Gallery, Berard told her about a spot he'd come across when searching for a space for his arts supply store.

"He walked in and he saw a vision of it,"Miller says. "He saw the gallery. He saw the classroom. He saw the studios. He saw a real creative energy."

With a lot of hard work, the pair brought that vision to fruition. cre8ery, located on the second floor of 125 Adelaide St., features a main gallery, small gallery and an auxiliary gallery. The classroom holds all kinds of workshops, including regular classes such as Sketch Night and the Actor's Drop-In. cre8ery also features private and shared studio space, which is open to artists 24/7, as well as to the public during business hours.

"People are invited to come in and look at the studios and the artists can take 100% of their sales if they have any. A lot of studio space is not accessible to the public all the time. If the artist is here, the public can just walk in. It's a nice opportunity for artists to gain more exposure without doing a lot of extra advertising and without having a show. Not everyone can afford to rent a gallery for an exhibition."

Because cre8ery is a rental gallery and isn't funded by the city, most artists can't afford to present their work for very long. Miller would like to see exhibitions last longer, but she enjoys the fresh atmosphere this situation provides.

"I'd rather have people come in every day, because if something has been out for a long time, people aren't in a hurry to come down to see it," Miller says. "People can stop by and there's always something new to see."

Are you One to Watch For? If you're an aspiring performer, actor, juggler, artist, poet, etc., tell us more about yourself. Send us an e-mail to e-mail source@uptownmag.com.