It’s officially been 1 year since we received the keys to the space!

What a day, what a week, what a month, what a year, what a life! What a journey its been!

For those who don't know, my name is Willis Aybar. I've been a photographer for as long as I could remember. I fell in love with art and creativity as a young boy and have been creating in various mediums ever since.

Fast forward past much trial and error, wins and losses, to July 2021. After many ventures, I was looking to expand and came across a Youtube video that changed the trajectory of my life (Shouts to EYL). Couple that video and the execution of the information, and it changed everything.

I took that information and added my own sauce, inspiration from my colleagues, and the natural evolution of photography and production, and Studio 87 was born. We received the keys on September 15th, 2021, and today it's been officially 1 year since the journey became real.

My passion and love for creativity and art led me here. Hence our slogan "Do What You Love ❤️ " and the reason we hope to inspire others to do the same.

Today I want to reflect on the things we've learned, the people we've helped and impacted, and the work that's yet to be done.

I want to send a huge shoutout to everyone who has been a part of our journey. A dream is only as valuable as the people who play a part. Today we celebrate! Cheers!

Lessons Learned and then some

I come from nothing. I was born in the Dominican Republic and became a US Citizen in 2020. Our family lived in the projects in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, NY, before moving to Baltimore in 2009. 

Here are some of the humble lessons learned:

• Hospitality is of utmost importance. Not only is it a part of our brand, but how we make people feel when interacting with the space is everything. From our cleanliness to every amenity we supply, it's all about making you feel comfortable and at home.

• Our guests come first. We wouldn't be here without YOU! Having an obsessive focus on the customer journey has gained us almost 100 5-star reviews across multiple platforms. We meet you, greet you, we're flexible, heavy attention to details, and we over promise and over deliver.

• Iteration comes last. Only after we've run an iteration can we take the learnings and apply them to the next iteration. Asking our guests how they enjoyed the space and what we would do better is never skipped. 

• It's not always about money. We need it to stay in business; however, the relationships we've built because we're not driven by money are worth their weight in gold. 

• One day at a time. There are plenty more lessons learned, especially around what NOT to do. It's not always fun, it's not always profitable, and it's definitely not always a win. With our focus on the future, obsession with our guest's experience, constant iteration, and consistent hospitality, growth is inevitable. 

Impact and the blessing it is to serve others

From the jump, we wanted to collaborate with our local community. Dundalk, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City in any way we possibly could. 

Since opening, we've:

• Had thousands of people enter and use our space in so many ways! THOUSANDS!

• Successful Toy Drive for families in crisis centers

• Art Gallery by Samantha Iaconi

• Worked with various non-profits

• Hosted a pop up shop to support local small businesses

• Dundalk Elementary 6th grade graduation

• Supported several local Baltimore Artists

• Taken part in the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce

• So many family gatherings and celebrations and memories created

• Over 50 photography sessions

• Helped other businesses launch

• Opened the space for a church group

• Proud recipients of the Project Restore Grant

• And so much more!

We continue to open our hearts and doors to opportunities for collaboration and provide support in any way we can. Have an idea for a collaboration? You can contact us here. 

The Hopeful Future

In order to stay around for the long haul and continue to do what we love and inspire others to do the same, we need to improve on our efforts to provide a space that continues to welcome people from all walks of life, remains affordable, and has everything our guests need. 

• We've moved away from parties. Parties mean these events where people just want to get lit and go all out. It was stressful, caused issues with a neighbor, and we realized that party people don't care about our policies and guidelines.

• Pivoting our focus to calm gatherings, more social events where the public is welcomed, aiming for more photography and productions.

• Hoping to expand to a second location that allows the party folks to enjoy their celebrations freely.

We can't do this without your support.

There is no other place like Studio 87 in Dundalk. There are many beautiful spaces in and around Baltimore, and every space is different. What sets us apart is our modularity (the ability to change and transform) and our customer service (A1).

Thank you!

It’s been a crazy ride. 100-hour weeks, managing the space, cleaning, bookings, invoicing, follow-ups, sales calls, and everything in between. Not to mention all the amount of life and business that has taken place during this process. It’s something I will never take for granted. It’s been an incredible investment and sacrifice and one that I haven’t recouped from yet. Still, I feel it’s successful because of the lives we’ve touched and the commitment to inspiring others to do what they love.

Today and every day, we thank you! You for coming into our space and making it yours. You for referring the space to so many people. You for caring for it like if it was yours. You for sharing and liking our posts and comments and for spreading our mission and vision. You for being you. We love you Baltimore!