"The difference between artists and normal people is that they leave their windows open when it rains.[1]
— excerpt from Zen and the Motorcycle Maintenance of Art, Chromebook Volume 1
Silverhand Studios is a private operation of studio apartment complexes formerly owned by Johnny Silverhand, and later by Kerry Eurodyne.
History[]
2010s - 2023[]
In the days of old, artists were able to get together to discuss their work, free from the pressures of business and influence of those in power. In the modern era, the megacorporations controlled the media and twisted the artist's work until it suited their mentality. With this thinking, at some point in the 2010s, Johnny Silverhand bought warehouses in many different areas of Night City, and other major cities in North America, to convert them into low rent, low profile lofts made especially for artists of all arts. His plan was to give artists a place to do their own thing, to promote the general welfare of talented people, and make sure they could grow and develop free from corporate control. Johnny named this enterprise Silverhand Studios.
Johnny allowed the artists renting his apartments to do anything they wanted, be it painting, erecting monuments, hanging from rafters, holding concerts or even orgies. As long as they didn't wreck the room where another person would have a chance to live.[1]
2023 - 2040s[]
After the death of Johnny Silverhand in 2023, Kerry Eurodyne took charge of his Silverhand Studios business.
As of 2045, the outlets were operating under the control of Kerry. He was known to be less hands-on with his tenants than Johnny was. Still, every time he was back in Night City he visited the inhabited outlets to throw a little encouragement to the artists, musicians, and anyone that called a Silverhand Studios their home.[2]
Layout & Overview[]
An example of a Silverhand Studios outlet
Almost any shape and size studio apartment could be found. The average loft was a high-ceilinged room on the second floor of a warehouse with a dramatic skylight and a huge row of windows against one wall. The first level was usually completely empty, offering the artists a large gathering space. Depending on the warehouse, the structure could be made of wooden beams or corrugated steel. In general, there were as many as twelve lofts per warehouse, and washrooms had been installed as needed. Cooking was electric and each room had a complete stove. All the housing was clean and vermin free as well.
The warehouses were designed to allow communities where the artists often got together to pass the time while sharing their ideas. There was a sense of secrecy to the communities; the general consensus was that the corporations could move in and take over or destroy the "work" at any moment, and this make everyone a bit paranoid.
Cheap supplies (at discounts to 70%) were able to be obtained by the warehouse's "landlord," who was actually a contact to Johnny's creative agent. All the artists in a given community knew how to get in nearly immediate contact with the landlord, (usually an out-of-work solo) who could also provide protection and an occasional hiding place for a particularly "sought after" artist. If an artist's life was in real jeopardy, they would be given the location of a warehouse in another city, and asked to leave. The landlord could also find jobs for the artists so they could eat and pay rent. Silverhand wasn't running a charity, and he figured having to pay rent, as cheap as it was, kept an artist from losing that hungry edge. There was, however, great leeway when it came to payment, and artists in a studio often chipped in and helped pay for each other's expenses. In addition to those duties, the landlord also told Johnny when a particular artist was showing great promise. When this happened, Silverhand occasionally arranged for an art dealer to "drop by" the warehouse and look over the artist's work to determine if it had merit.[1]
Notable Locations[]
Night City[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 FISK, C. Chromebook Volume 1. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1991. (pp.86–88)
- ↑ HUTT, J. et al., Corporate Conapts and Studio Apartments. Kenmore, WA, R. Talsorian Games, 2023. (p.5)