I’m not much of an artistic person. Though I can take a decent photograph and color with the best of the kindergarteners, my craftiness is more along the lines of “calculating and devious” and less “creative and decorative.”
However, I don’t have to be artistic to appreciate the talent of artistic people. I marvel at how natural it is for some people to paint, carve, craft or sew a work of art. Which is why a recent visit to the Create Appalachia offices in downtown Kingsport made such an impression on me.
Katie Hoffman, the executive director of Create Appalachia, gave me a tour of her Center Street campus, provided a rundown of the technology contained within and highlighted some of the key software available to those who join the organization.
Here’s a sampling of what I learned.

ABOUT CREATE APPALACHIA
Create Appalachia is a non-profit organization that offers the community access to state-of-the-art digital media equipment with locations in Kingsport and Johnson City. The Kingsport center – roughly 9,000 square feet – can be found on both floors of the east wing of the old city hall building (255 E. Center Street).

This Center of Digital Innovation provides members access to more than $500,000 in high-tech equipment, including photography and videography studios, large format printers and a host of software from Adobe, Autodesk, Maxon and Microsoft.
Technology enabled co-working spaces, private offices (14 in total) and a conference room are available for rent to entrepreneurs and small businesses. Some spaces can be rented by the day or the week and others from six months up to yearly agreements. The downtown center includes a streaming lab with a teleprompter for folks to make YouTube videos or do podcasting, two large format printers for archival quality prints and two computer labs that can be booked for classes.
Hoffman said the spaces are curated with entrepreneurs, artists and makers in mind, including for recent graduates, filmmakers and photographers, graphic designers, game designers and 3D artists.
“We have the equipment that helps people do all of that and more,” explained Hoffman.
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Let’s say someone graduates with a degree in graphic design and wants to go solo. Chances are they won’t have the money to purchase the various high-end computers and software packages needed to make a successful go at it.
Though, by joining Create Appalachia you would have access to them. And since you’re paying for the space, Create Appalachia does not get a commission on anything you make.
Universities may have the latest and greatest software, but they also have educational licensing agreements, which means you can’t sell your wares there. Not the case with Create Appalachia.
Hoffman said the organization plans to come up with programs to meet the needs of artists of all types and all generations. Don’t expect to see classes on photography or painting – Create Appalachia is not an arts organization after all.
Rather, you’ll likely find classes on how to promote yourself on social media, how to do product photography or how to write an artist statement.
“One of the needs we’ve uncovered is people who aren’t digital natives, who need to be online and on social media. We’re trying to help them get to the next level,” she said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Kingsport location opened in March 2022 after two attempts to get off the ground in 2020 and 2021. You can probably guess the reason the why. Over in Johnson City, Create Appalachia had a small space in the Taylor building downtown, but it closed in January 2022 with the non-profit opening a larger space on Walnut Street later in the year.
Kingsport leaders envision the center becoming the second of three phases towards the ultimate creation of an Innovation Village in downtown. The first phase – the Inventor Center – opened in 2018 and offers members access to high-tech maker and prototyping equipment.
Incubator space – the third phase of the Innovation Village – is currently in the planning process.
Ultimately, folks with good ideas will be able to design a product at the digital media center, create a prototype at the Inventor Center and then to the incubator for assembly, storage and shipping.
And it’ll all be done within a few blocks of each other in downtown Kingsport. If you would like to learn more about Create Appalachia and the services it offers, visit www.createappalachia.org.



