Today we’d like to introduce you to Evan Snow.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I came into this work taking taking the hard road, though I didn’t know it at the time. I wasn’t someone who grew up thinking I’d become a community builder or a placemaker, but I’ve always been fascinated by culture and the ways people connect. Years ago, I started saying yes to more of the things that excited me, which led me deeper into the arts community, local storytelling, and the idea of building platforms that could bring people together. That’s where Choose954 was born. It started as a grassroots cultural movement to shine a light on the creative energy in Greater Fort Lauderdale and tell the stories of the people shaping it. Through events, conversations, and collaborations, Choose954 became a vehicle to help artists and entrepreneurs feel seen and supported.
As I spent more time listening to artists, one challenge came up again and again: space. Talented creatives had nowhere affordable to create. My business partner, Andrew Martineau, and I realized that this wasn’t just a personal frustration. It was a systemic barrier holding entire communities back. If you don’t have space, you can’t produce work. If you can’t produce work, you can’t build a career. And when artists disappear, the cultural fabric of a place starts to thin.
That insight led us to launch Zero Empty Spaces in 2019. The idea was simple. Take vacant commercial properties and turn them into affordable artist studios. Make it month to month. Make it accessible. Make it something that serves both the creative community and the property owners by bringing life back into underutilized real estate. What started as an experiment quickly grew into a national Creative Placemaking initiative. Over the past six years, we’ve opened 33 spaces across four states and welcomed more than 800 artists into the program. These spaces have evolved into hubs for workshops, open studios, nonprofit fundraisers, classes, and collaboration. More importantly, they’ve created opportunity, community, and a sense of belonging for people who often operate on the margins.
Today my work is really about carrying that mission forward. Choose954 still focuses on storytelling, connection, and championing local culture. Zero Empty Spaces continues to scale as a model that supports artists, strengthens neighborhoods, and helps cities rethink what’s possible with vacant space. Both initiatives share the same throughline: make creativity more accessible, make community more intentional, and make the places we live feel more human.
That’s the journey in a nutshell. Saying yes to curiosity, following the breadcrumbs, and building things that help people feel connected to their city and to each other.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has definitely not been smooth, but the challenges have shaped the work and strengthened the mission.
When we first started Choose954, the hardest part was simply getting people to care. South Florida wasn’t known for having a unified arts community, and there wasn’t an established playbook for building cultural engagement from the ground up. It took a lot of consistency, storytelling, and showing up in rooms where people didn’t always understand what we were trying to create. But over time, the community started responding, and that momentum became the foundation for everything that came next.
Zero Empty Spaces came with its own set of hurdles. Convincing property owners to hand over vacant space on a month-to-month basis for almost no cost wasn’t exactly an easy pitch in the early days. Neither was proving that artists would not only show up but would transform these spaces into something meaningful. Add in zoning questions, insurance challenges, permitting, operational logistics, and all the moving parts of running multiple locations, and it’s safe to say we were navigating uncharted territory every step of the way.
We also launched ZES just months before the pandemic hit. Suddenly, we were dealing with shutdowns, uncertainty, and the very real fear that the arts community — one of the most economically fragile sectors — would be hit the hardest. Instead of pulling back, we doubled down. We worked closely with property owners, kept spaces accessible, and provided stability for artists at a time when everything else felt shaky. That period tested us, but it also validated the importance of what we were building.
On a more personal level, the biggest struggle has always been balancing vision with execution. Community-driven work requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to push through when results aren’t immediate. There were plenty of moments where it would have been easier to walk away. But every story of an artist who found their community, landed opportunities, or reignited their creative practice reminded me why the work matters.
The road hasn’t been smooth, but the rough patches built resilience, and the obstacles forced us to innovate. Looking back, the challenges weren’t detours. They were the path.
We’ve been impressed with Zero Empty Spaces & Choose954, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: creativity makes communities better. Both Choose954 and Zero Empty Spaces were created to support that idea in different but complementary ways.
Choose954 is a cultural platform dedicated to inspiring people to connect with the arts, culture, and creators in Greater Fort Lauderdale. We focus on storytelling, community engagement, and events that highlight the people shaping the cultural landscape. Whether it’s CreativeZen Talks, content that spotlights local artists, or partnerships that amplify homegrown talent, Choose954 exists to help people feel more connected to where they live. We specialize in humanizing the creative community and building bridges between artists, audiences, and the city itself.
Zero Empty Spaces goes deeper into infrastructure. Our mission is to transform vacant commercial spaces into affordable artist studios that are accessible, community focused, and financially realistic for working creatives. We take empty storefronts and offices and turn them into vibrant hubs of activity where artists can create, collaborate, and be discovered. We specialize in Creative Placemaking and vacancy activation, and we’ve become known for a model that supports artists while also delivering tangible value to property owners and developers.
What sets us apart is that we solve a problem that most people talk about but very few address: the lack of affordable space for artists. We didn’t wait for grants or government programs. We built a system that works in the real world, that can scale, and that benefits everyone involved. Over the past six years, we’ve activated 33 spaces in four states and welcomed more than 800 artists. These locations have grown into genuine cultural ecosystems that host workshops, classes, open studios, fundraisers, meetups, and creative collaboration. They also enhance walkability, increase foot traffic, and spark new energy in neighborhoods that need it.
Brand wise, I’m most proud that both Choose954 and Zero Empty Spaces are grounded in authenticity. We’re not trying to be something we’re not. We’re here to serve artists, elevate culture, and show what’s possible when you treat creativity as an essential part of community development rather than an afterthought. We’re known for being approachable, mission driven, and deeply rooted in the communities we serve. And we’re proud of the fact that our work creates real impact, not just good press.
For readers, the biggest thing to know is this: our offerings aren’t just programs. They’re pathways. Choose954 helps people discover and engage with their local creative scene. Zero Empty Spaces provides the infrastructure artists need to make their work, grow their careers, and build community. Both brands exist to make creativity more accessible and to help cities reimagine how culture and commerce can work together.
Whether you’re an artist, a local resident, a developer, or someone who cares about building better communities, there’s a way to get involved. And there’s always more possibility ahead.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories goes back to the years I spent on the lacrosse field with my father. Long before the sport was recognized by the FHSAA or had any real traction in public schools, he was one of the people pushing it forward in South Florida. He was my coach, my mentor, and in many ways the first advocate I ever watched in action. I didn’t realize it at the time, but seeing him build something from scratch, rally parents, organize teams, and champion a sport that few were paying attention to planted something deep in me.
Some of my best memories were the road trips we took to tournaments. It wasn’t just about the games. It was the feeling of being part of something bigger, something we were building together. We were underdogs most of the time, which made it even sweeter when Coral Springs Tomahawks Lacrosse Club — our team — beat St. Andrews in Boca, the powerhouse program everyone considered unbeatable. That David versus Goliath moment still sticks with me. It showed me what happens when passion, persistence, and a community of believers come together.
Looking back, those early experiences weren’t just about lacrosse. They were early lessons in advocacy, leadership, and the power of creating opportunities where they didn’t exist. Those genes were passed down in a way I didn’t fully understand until much later. The work I do today in the arts, culture, and community-building space comes from the same place — a belief that if you care enough to push for something meaningful, and you put in the work, you can change the landscape for a lot of people.
Those memories with my father are a big part of why I do what I do now. The field just changed from sports to arts, but the heart behind it stayed the same.
Pricing:
- Zero Empty Spaces artist studios are $3/sqft for a 96sqft space on average ($300/mo inclusive of utilities, 24/7 access, 0% commission on sales)
- Choose954 has media and marketing opportunities to be featured in newsletters, podcasts, website, etc
Contact Info:
- Website: zeroemptyspaces.com & choose954.com
- Instagram: @zeroemptyspaces & @choose954
- Facebook: @zeroemptyspaces & @choose954
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zero-empty-spaces
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZeroEmptySpacesYouTube
