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In January 2020, Jennifer Mygatt Tatum had rented a studio space from Cemil Hope of Hope Built Cabinetry located in the historic Watershed Building (formally Kresky Signs) near downtown Petaluma. During his tenancy, Cemil had built out a series of rooms in the old warehouse that would eventually become Magic Shop Studios. It was Cemil’s idea that these rooms become the foundation for a vibrant artists’ collective. But when the building was sold to a real estate developer, it was Jennifer who picked up on his vision and carried it forward. As the building’s tenants moved out in preparation for a total remodel, Jennifer saw not just the bones of a collective, but the potential for something more.

She asked for a meeting with the building’s new owner, Josh Peterson, proposing he keep Cemil’s room intact. To Jennifer’s surprise, Josh not only supported the idea for an artists’ collective—he helped bring it to life. Skylights were added to dark corners. Walls were moved, doorways reimagined, new studios constructed. One by one, the vision began to take root.

What began in 2020 with six studios housing nine artists quickly grew. Within a year and a half, five more studios were added. Today, Magic Shop Studios is home to 11 studios and 15 artists, a creative community is as diverse as it is dynamic. The artists—painters, printmakers, tufters, photographers, and sculptors—all contribute to the shared rhythm of the space, each artist bringing their own spark as they shape the collective’s energy.

All this happened at the height of COVID-19, an awkward time to try to create a new community, but that didn’t slow Jennifer down. Dispute the global uncertainty of COVID-19, artists signed up for spaces, stepping into the unknown, but trusting Jennifer’s vision that down the road this series of disjointed rooms would eventually evolve into a place of creativity, community and purpose. 

As the world opened up in the spring of 2022, so did Magic Shop. It began hosting quarterly open studios and group shows as well as dedicating one of its three gallery spaces to solo shows, allowing individual artists to present their work in full. That summer, Magic Shop began opening its doors to the public every Saturday from 11-4, creating serendipitous encounters with the public that often leads to deep conversations and lasting connections.

Today, Magic Shop Studios is more than a collective. It is a living, breathing organism, standing proof that with vision, support, and community, we can shape spaces not only to work, but to dream, grow, and belong.

Jennifer Mygatt Tatum

Andrea Jackson

Alison Wong

Renee kelly

Johanna Garmin

Cat Alden

Brigid Horgan

Sarah Rodebaugh

Julie McNamara

Tim Baker

And Chandra smith

Tara Bogart

Studio 2a

Alex Long

Jose Sanchez

Nat Saia

Peter Shaw

Aaron Webb

Henry Rolnik

Stephanie Hsu

Diana Arguetto

Leisa Gerritson

Patricia Landgraf

Elizabeth Pond Mcpherson

Micheal Woolsey

Deb Wilson

Marci Protteau

Avril Mchugh

Alicia Hodges

Kris Ekstrand

Andrea Wedell

Ben Kellgren

Cate Nelson

Agnes Pierscieniak

Jordan Felling

Karen Olsen -Dunn

Nicole Mathers

Ayshia Mathews

Valden Rattenbury

Amaya Lounibus

Geoff Ludke

Deb Sealy

Molly Rosenfeld