During the Creatives Meetup at North Star House held on September 3rd, we invited members of the Nevada County creative community upstairs to walk through the unfinished second floor and imagine what could happen there.
Artists, writers, musicians, makers and other local creatives moved through rooms that are still very much a work in progress and started imagining what could happen there.
Then we asked a simple question: Could you see yourself working or creating up here?
All 17 people who completed our feedback form said yes.
What Would Nevada County Creative Community Do Upstairs?
We already have plans for parts of the second floor, but there are still plenty of decisions ahead, and hearing directly from people who may one day use the space helps us understand what would actually make it useful.
Their answers covered a lot of ground:
Painting and drawing workshops
Collage and printmaking
Writing workshops and writing groups
Poetry readings
Artist meetings and networking
Pop-up book markets
Chamber music
Songwriting workshops
Jam sessions
Dance classes and rehearsals
Small performances
Creative retreats
Art exhibitions
Some people pictured quiet rooms where they could write, paint or work independently. Others imagined classrooms, meeting rooms and performance spaces where members of the Grass Valley arts community could learn from one another and collaborate.
What came through most clearly was not one single idea for the second floor, but the desire for flexible space that could support many different kinds of creative work.
Workshops, Classes and Creative Work
A lot of people could see the second floor being used for hands-on classes and workshops.
Ideas included oil painting, drawing, crafts, printmaking, art theory, songwriting and writing workshops. One person suggested rotating workshops led by local artists and galleries. Another imagined teaching painting in a way that focused on both technique and how to really look at a painting. Others were interested in simply having room to work.
The basic needs were fairly practical: tables, chairs, good lighting, easels, water and enough room to work comfortably.
Writers, Musicians and Performers Saw Possibilities Too
The ideas were not limited to visual art.
Writers suggested poetry workshops, literary readings, conference space and writing groups. A publisher suggested a pop-up book market.
Musicians imagined string quartets, chamber music, jam sessions and songwriting workshops.
Dance and performance artists saw room for classes, rehearsals and small performances.
Those ideas also helped us think through what different kinds of creative use might require. Music may need better sound separation. Dance could require the right flooring. Performances would need flexible seating and lighting. All of these details matter so much to us for the future planning.
Sometimes Creative Space Is Just Space to Gather
Not every response was about putting on a class, exhibition or performance. Some people simply wanted a place to meet, talk, brainstorm or work alongside other creatives; Artist networking, business meetings, creative retreats and informal gatherings all came up.
For the Nevada County creative community, having a place to connect can sometimes be just as valuable as having a formal program to attend.
That kind of flexibility may end up being one of the most useful things about the second floor.
What People Said They Would Need
Across the feedback forms, many of the same practical needs kept showing up:
Tables and chairs
Comfortable seating
Good lighting
Bathrooms
Water
Internet access
Easels
Cleanup space
Flexible room layouts
Music and dance would require a little more, including sound separation and appropriate flooring.
Cost also came up as a concern, which is important for us to hear.
We want to think not only about what could happen upstairs, but also about whether people could realistically access and use the space.
A Gallery Space for Nevada County Artists
One part of the second floor already has a clearer direction.
We are planning a rotating gallery featuring Nevada County artists, with exhibitions changing throughout the year. Rather than creating a space that is only activated for a single event, the goal is to give artists an opportunity to have their work on view for a longer period of time while giving visitors another reason to experience the second floor of North Star House.
The idea also connected naturally with what we heard during the meetup. Participants talked about exhibitions, opportunities to show larger bodies of work and the need for more places where local artists can share what they are creating.
The gallery will be created in honor of Peggy Swan Levine, whose connection to North Star House is an important part of the property's more recent history.
It is one piece of a much larger second-floor vision, but it is also a good example of what we hope this next chapter can become: preserving the character and history of North Star House while creating new reasons for people to come inside, participate and make something of their own.
There Is Still Time to Help Shape What Comes Next
The second floor is still a work in progress.
Some pieces are already taking shape. Others are still open.
We came away from the Creatives Meetup with a long list of possibilities.
Some uses may fit naturally into the space. Others may take more planning.
And some rooms may work best when they are not assigned one permanent purpose at all.
That is why bringing people upstairs now matters. The feedback gave us plenty to consider, and it also showed us that local creatives are interested in being part of what comes next.
We want the space to feel like part of North Star House, but we also want it to be useful to the community around us.
So we will keep asking:
What would bring you upstairs?
What would you use the space for?
And what would you need once you got here?
North Star House
Published September 13, 2026
