Meet Nicole Korbe | Artist and Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Korbe and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nicole, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a self-taught artist, I have been naively and stubbornly trying to make my own way in a world that is quickly changing. Starting in 2017, while I was still working part-time in both the corporate world and at odd jobs to make ends meet, I built a small following by participating in art festivals and by joining a co-op gallery. Fast forward a few years, and I found myself opening my own gallery in 2021. In opening NKollectiv (pronounced N Collective), my goal was to create a flexible artist-friendly business model to showcase local art.

When I was approached with the opportunity to partner in a new workshop space at Prism Workspaces, I jumped at the chance to provide another avenue for local artists to be involved in the community. As a former art studio tenant at Prism, which is home to over 50 artists and other creative businesses, I knew it was a great location for such a venture. Prism Arts Workshop was the result. The new workshop provides opportunities in the Denver metro area for creative learning experiences, building on what is available at other locations throughout the city. There is additional value in being located within the creative complex of Prism Workspaces since it is already an established creative center in the city. As we continue to develop, we envision a community-oriented arts center that will provide inclusive hands-on art learning experiences for everyone as well as valuable resources for artists.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Prism Arts Workshop, located near 8th Ave and I-25 (999 Vallejo St) is unique in that it is set within a larger vibrant artist community full of artists working in a variety of media including painting, glass art, woodworking, fashion, dollmaking, and more. This provides clients with the ability to truly experience a supportive working artist community.

The workshop offers classes in many different media, but one unique focus of the workshop is encaustic painting and printmaking. Encaustic painting—an ancient technique that involves painting with a heated wax medium—is having a bit of a resurgence. There is a lot of interest in learning that medium and because it requires a fair amount of specialized equipment, we wanted to help fill that niche by investing in heated palettes and other supplies that will be readily available to instructors and students. In addition to encaustic, we offer classes in acrylic and oil painting, assemblage, fabric arts, mixed media and more. We welcome those interested in sharing their skills to reach out to us about teaching or holding other events in the space.

NKollectiv is currently located in the Art District on Santa Fe (960 Santa Fe Drive), and I am so grateful for the community and art collectors that are allowing us to make ends meet! It is a gallery of local Colorado artists that has a unique, artist friendly business model that is a hybrid between a collective and a managed commercial gallery. We are known for offering high quality art from local artists in a casual but elegant setting.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A week-long itinerary would have to include not only the amazing art museums we have here in Denver, but also the vibrant art districts and local galleries and art studios. Of course they would get a tour of Prism, and the Art District on Santa Fe is a must. Local Breweries and locally-owned restaurants are always high on my list as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have had so much support and encouragement from my family and friends and from the local art community and experienced business owners who generously lend advice. The instigator of the Prism Arts Workshop venture, Dan Strammiello, has been integral in mentoring and encouraging me to expand my perception of what is possible.

Website: www.prismartsworkshop.com and www.nkollectiv.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/prismartsworkshop and www.instagram.com/nkollectiv

Facebook: www.facebook.com/prismartsworkshop www.facebook.com/nkollectiv

Image Credits
NKollectiv Gallery photos from Rick Knight