The Bastion

The home was originally built by Daniel Illig and his wife, Mary Schultz, in 1876.  Illig came to Pennsylvania from Germany in 1857 and owned a tailor and clothing shop on State Street.  It was on the success of his business that he was able to build his impressive home and raise a family of 14 children.  It is one of the few remaining examples of Second Empire architecture in the city, with it’s signature Mansard roof, decorative iron roof cresting, and pedimented windows.  

The former Daniel Illig House at 2016 Peach Street. 

It lay for years in an abandoned, dilapidated state after being converted to a storefront and offices in the 1970s. In 2016, Bill and Emily Kern, purchased the building, named it the Bastion, and set to work peeling back the layers of bad renovations that took place throughout the house’s history.  They took down drop ceilings, pried off panelling and wallpaper, took up carpet, and busted through boarded up windows. 

Our Community

We are happy to be operating the Daniel Illig House, as a private studio space for artists, musicians, and creators.

Our community is rich with artists who are creating beautiful, impressive works, and adding vibrancy to our space and Erie as a whole.

  • Owner, Bastion Studios

    Director, 1020 Collective

    Rick@1020collective.com

    Richard Eugene is a multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, and the Director of all things magical and musical at 1020 Collective. Learn more about him in person, if you can catch him, at 1020 Collective or keeping the vibes high at the Bastion.

  • Owner, Bastion Studios

    Co-Director, 1020 Collective

    Founder, Maggie Knox

    sarahmkmoody.com

    Sarah@1020collective.com

    SMKM is an artist, mother, doula. Her practice involves photography, painting, clay sculpture, beaded jewelry, and other mixed media.

  • Jamie Keim Studio

    Visual Artist & Designer

    jamiekeim.com

    jamiekeim.studio@gmail.com

    Jamie is an artist, educator, and arts administrator living in Erie, Pennsylvania by way of Brooklyn, New York and Pensacola, Florida. She is an abstract artist and graphic designer with a BFA in Fine Arts/Digital Design from Pace University in New York City. She is currently the Program Manager and Designer at the Erie Art Museum, as well as a practicing studio artist and an art teacher at the Inner City Neighborhood Art House.

    Through abstract works and mixed media, Jamie seeks to explore and give form to her inner world and emotional landscape. Her compositions are not merely aesthetic expressions but rather windows into her soul, reflecting the ebb and flow of the natural world, the interplay of light and shadow, and the harmony of chaos and order.

    Jamie is an enthusiastic participant in diverse public art initiatives, where she not only highlights her artistic talents but also demonstrates a commitment to her community. A standout accomplishment includes her instrumental role in completing a mural alongside Jacksonville-based artist Dustin Harewood for the Views Festival in 2023.

  • Designer, Rabbit 3

    André Jones is a force of nature! He is a creative director, multi-media artist, and event producer. Jones creates luxury fashion items, large scale paintings, and immersive experiences that bring the community together in exciting and intentional ways.

  • Em Crisman Art

    Fine Artist: watercolor and cyanotype mixed-media painter.

    emcrisman.com

    emcrisman.art@gmail.com

    Em, an Erie based, self-taught, artist-mother, creates meaningful paintings on paper with cyanotypes, watercolors and mixed-media. Em, originally from Buffalo, studied communications, art and psychology at Grove City College, and earned her Masters of Arts in Global Studies at Crown College. Painting has been a consistent practice in congruence with her studies and career. And in 2019 she answered her artist calling and launched her first collection. Since then, she has completed many commissioned artworks, shown in multiple galleries, and launched five successful collections. Em works out of her home studio in the evenings and has a second studio in downtown Erie. Creating art is one of her purposes in life and she’s so glad to share it with you.

    Creating beauty from brokenness, and finding peace in the process. At the core of my work is my faith and themes of beauty, healing and hope. My creative process involves developing cyanotypes in the sun which are then used as an underpainting for layers of watercolor and mixed media. Nature is not only the subject of my work, but also plays an integral role in the creation of it. I often produce a few bodies of work per year consisting of multiple paintings that are grouped around specific themes and significant meanings. This allows me space to explore various subject matters within one theme. During research, play and production, new inspiration will arise and lead to the next body of work.

  • Reach Media Productions

    Professional Photography and Videography

    reachmediaproductions.com

    brian@reachmediaproductions.com

    Helping Businesses & Realtors Forge Stronger Connections with Their Audiences by Capturing Your Brand's Essence Using Video | Marketing | Strategy

    I get my inspiration from the everyday mundane and those around me. Look again.

  • Owner, RLB Art Studio

    https://www.rlbartstudio.com/

    Rachel@berlinenterprises.net

    Rachel is the owner of RLB Art Studio, a certified art instructor, and fine artist. She currently resides in Erie, PA. Rachel was born and raised in Jamestown, NY area where she began to develop her love for Art. Spending as much time as possible outdoors, Rachel observed her natural surroundings and that art is all around us. Colors, Textures, Patterns, Shapes, & Lines all make up what we see. Art connects us all.

    " Making ART is pART of who I am! When I'm not involved in some sort of project a part of me feels void. It's my therapy and we all need that. I love creating art and helping others do the same. Creating is a treasure, and it feeds our souls in a way that nothing else can."

  • Studio Fang

    Arts & Crafts Practice - Sculpture & Handcrafts from Wood

    www.instagram.com/matttfang/

    matthewretkowski@gmail.com

    Having Fun With it All

    BFA Sculpture

    Product Design @ FlexcutToolCo

    Arts & Crafts @matttfang

    Event Organizer @IrregularSpoonGathering

    Webmaster / Conservationist / Board Member @ NWPAtrout.org

    Art is What Happens When You Play With Craft

  • Painting (Acyrlics, Oils), and mixed media

    Nicholascardell@gmail.com

    Nicholas Cardell Gore is a self-taught contemporary mixed media artist raised and living in Erie, Pa. After honorably serving in the US Navy for 12 years, he attended the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, majoring in Fashion Marketing and Retail Management. He rediscovered his passion for painting in 2020 and has dedicated to the craft ever since. In 2023, Nicholas’ art was recently featured in Erie at The 1020 Collective and the HICAAE, respectively. His work was also showcased in Chicago, IL at Union Street Gallery’s Spring Invitational, and he was commissioned by the Jesse White Community Center to honor Illinois’ outgoing Secretary of State Jesse White in his retirement from political office in December 2022.

    My artwork is the expression of my imagination and experiences as a Black man in America who's also had the opportunity and privilege to travel the world. My focus is to create language and imagery against those whose ideas and policies seek to misrepresent and suppress the Black experience, as it’s become increasingly difficult for our story to be told both fully and truthfully in today’s climate. It’s my mission to pay tribute to the depth, vibrancy and history of Black culture.

    The context of my work is the celebration of the memories and shared experiences as they are often expressed through language, rituals, and traditions of Black culture. The imagery is presented through reflecting on the joy and trauma of my childhood, my military service, and interpreting emotions such as love, pain and pride. My approach to art is traditional painting, though recently I’ve incorporated fabrics and various textiles to add a more depth message to engage the viewer.

  • KT is a multi-media artist using photography, video, and sound to express. They work at 1020 Collective between live sound, the darkroom, assisting with the gallery, and events.

    They are also the resident photographer for the Pittsburgh Steelline.

  • Raeann the Artist

    Artist/muralist

    Raeanntheartist.com

    raeannkrugger@gmail.com

    Raeann recently moved back to the Erie area after living in Alaska, Vermont, Colorado, and Hawaii for the past 30 years. Besides art, snowboarding has been her passion and has traveled to 4 other countries to find fresh snow! She is looking forward to sharing her art with the community!!

    Raeann has been creating art for as long as she can remember and committed to being a full time artist about 5 years ago. She has transitioned throughout her career working in many different mediums. She is currently working in acrylic and gold leaf focusing on fine art and she started a mural and window painting business 4 years ago. She loves beautifying every community she lives in with her artwork and hopes to inspire others.

Want to join the community?

If you are interested in joining the bastion please fill out this for to inquire for more information or to talk about joining the waitlist! We look forward to learning more about what you create!