(page 44) MARCH 2015
THE SCOOP BY KINSEY GUSTAFSON
THE GAR AGE
Nestled into a corner on the edge of downtown Rapid City sits a garage. Not just any garage. The Garage. What was once an auto repair shop in a historical building is now a collaborative workspace where ideas and hard work merge. Co-owners of The Garage and principals of the Numad Group, Matt Ehlman, Kerry Brock, and Ted Stephens III spent years working out of coffee shops and decided it was time to have a spot where members could work together in a space that inspires creative ideas. “There was a Chevy commercial we saw that was about all great ideas coming out garages,” said Stephens. “It came on when we were creating this space. Apple started in the garage, [Bill] Gates started in the garage. This is a place that was built in 1929, where innovative things happened with cars, and the same can be done now.” Ehlman, Stephens, and Brock wanted a building that was iconic to Rapid City. The location of the building and its neighborhood worked perfectly with their vision for the collaborative workspace. Creative ideas and input from members is encouraged, and as Ehlman puts it – people now work hard and labor over computers instead of a car engine. The Garage is filled with original Images by Kinsey Gustafson.
windows and doors from the auto repair shops. A porcelain water fountain that sits in the front is the original one from 1929. The feel of The Garage is meant to inspire hard work from years past to carry forward. The Garage offers three different memberships for workspaces. The Alfa Romero Membership is a designated office, the Cadillac Membership is a designated workspace within The Garage, and the Classic Membership is a drop-in membership, where people can come and work at any available desk or table. There are currently 11 full offices, room for 12 work stations and a number of drop-ins available. All memberships also include bottomless coffee – among other perks. In addition to serving as a collaborative workspace, The Garage is home to a variety of events and activities open to the community. Music performances, documentary screenings, and morning yoga are all happening at The Garage. Jason Alley is a member of The Garage and principal of Jakelope. He had the idea of bringing in a six-month film series, running until May. Films are typically screened on the second Tuesday of each month. “We’re converting [The Garage] into
to a pop-up yoga studio. Recently there were a couple people that started a meditation group and they will do that a couple days a week. NOSH has partnered up with us as well and every Thursday they park their food truck out here,” said Alley. Another event that takes place in The Garage is called the Morning Fill Up. It’s a platform for a conversation between the community and a community leader. Recently, Heather Wilson, president of the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology was the community leader attending the Fill Up. Past conversations involved Jennifer Ford Reedy, president of The Bush Foundation as well as Carl Artman, former head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “I think part of organizing themes around this is when we think of guests, we think of people who can talk about community or are leaders of communities,” said Brock. “This is the kind of a space for makers and doers, and the guests that we invite for the Morning Fill Up are makers and doers in society.” The Garage is located at 402 St. Joseph Street. For more info: visit www.garagerapidcity.com.