New downtown Tacoma studio and micro-event venue promises vintage contemporary glamour
Hidden in a red-brick building downtown, a new photo studio and micro-event venue is taking shape. During a visit Thursday, sunlight shone through large open windows of Atelier, named after a french word often associated with creative and collaborative workspaces.
Owner Jess Madsen envisions the 900-square-foot venue at 711 St. Helens Avenue, Suit 102, in Tacoma as an extension of her Tacoma Photo Studio housed in the Sanford & Son antique mall down the street. The space soft-opened in September, and photo shoots or events can be booked seven days a week, between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Following the trend of “micro-weddings” that took off in the pandemic, Madsen wants to host small ceremonies or events in a 400-square-foot room that can fit 40 people standing or 20 to 25 seated. Madsen anticipates other parties, pop-ups and workshops will take place there in the future and noted an art gallery will be staged there the second week of December. Follow updates on her website or Instagram @atelier.tacoma to learn more.
Madsen draws design inspiration from 17th century Europe, blending vintage and contemporary chic to create a minimalist and timeless style. Dressed in a dark blue sweater and flared light-wash jeans Thursday, she ran her hand over the light-grain french farm tables stored behind the main event space, which can be moved and adorned with textured goblets, curated vintage silverware and seashell dishes for an extra fee.
When Madsen was deciding whether to lease the space over the summer, she researched event venues in Tacoma that accommodated smaller groups and had a hard time finding them. Venues that matched her aesthetic were even harder to come by, she said.
“I want people to enjoy being here and have fun, nice things to use and feel inspired and not just like they’re using a red solo cup for an event,” Madsen said. “I really like blending Old World textures and designs with some more modern approaches.”
On her website you can book photography shoots by the hour for $85 and parties and events for $125 an hour, with additional costs for add-ons like serveware and glassware. Madsen includes a photo gallery of the furniture and pantry items you can choose from online. She also has recommendations for florists, make-up artists, table designers and food vendors.
Born and raised in Tacoma in a family of entrepreneurs, Madsen said opening new local businesses helped reinvigorate her love for the city and feel more invested in its future.
“When I was thinking about this place and thinking about some of the other venues in Tacoma that are really beautiful but are bigger, [I understand] the capacity and the finances, the burden that having a wedding puts on people can be quite a lot,” she said. “So how can we find a balance between accessible spaces and still having beauty? Not being in like, a restaurant side room or a conference room in a hotel or things that just feel very corporate or stifled. How can we create something that people want to be in? … Sometimes I think Tacoma struggles with hitting all of the pieces. We don’t think about the full experience.”
If you go
Contact Madsen for a tour of the space or book a photo session or event online.
This story was originally published October 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
