Renowned Photos at The Arts Factory is his pandemic side hustle
Mike Xavier is known just as much for his skillful emceeing as he is for his hustle. As a musician, he’s extremely prolific, having released two EPs and a string of singles this year. Before the pandemic, he was a fixture at Downtown stages, be it performing at Life is Beautiful in 2018 or hosting monthly showcases at Bunkhouse.
Never one to sit still, he and fiancee Katy Rollett (@xkaaates) also do event and wedding photography. With the pandemic putting performing on hold, the pair decided to focus more on their photography, recently opening their own studio, @renownedphotos, at @theartsfactorylv.
“I’m just a creator. I wanted a space to create in different ways,” Mike says. “We chose to open our photography studio at the Arts Factory because we wanted to be located in a place that continues to drive the arts community forward. With First Friday and the pop-up events that happen there, it felt like the right place for us to be.”
More than a homebase for their own creative output, the Renowned Photos studio doubles as a micro events space for groups of 20-30 people, with photography equipment available to use at no extra cost. They hope to use the space to create unique, exclusive events, something Mike is well-versed in. Over the years, he’s curated events throughout DTLV, from concerts and music marketing workshops to toy drives and speaker series. Once Covid restrictions are lifted, he hopes to bring those events to the Arts Factory.
“We just want a space to bring people in and get creative,” Mike says. #HumansOfDTLV
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