ABOUT US

AREA HALL ART HOUSE

AREA HALL - SARAH HILL

ART HOUSE - MYRIAM NICODEMUS

*BOTH OF OUR BUSINESSES COMBINED

What do you do? 

I buy old and mostly vacant buildings, fix them up, and fill them with people and vitality. I’m drawn to historic homes, spaces for artists, vibrant neighborhood nodes, and walkability. 

How did you meet Myriam?

I’ve known of Myriam for over 10 years - she actually photographed my old house in 2014 and took my picture on a couple of different occasions. 

Why did you decide to work together? 

I’ve been impressed with Myriam for years, always admiring her artistic skill, style, and vision.

Myriam and I really connected when she was closing up her EM EN Art House and selling off her studio fixtures and furnishings after the building sold. I was looking for a purpose for one of my beloved buildings and wondered if it might work as a photography studio. Myriam had proven the point that South Bend has a real need for these sorts of spaces and closing her studio was leaving a big void. After a few false starts trying to put the studio together on my own, Myriam reached out and we linked up to create the Area Hall Art House. I think our collaboration has been pure synergy and has truly exceeded the sum of our individual efforts.

What is AH AH? 

AH AH is a space designed to support artists in creating national quality content and productions. 

What do you hope to see happen in the future as a team? 

It’s easy for Myriam and I to see each other’s vision and get on board. We’re both extremely driven and hardworking and have taken it upon ourselves to create the communities and spaces where we want to live and work. Right now, we are working on engaging the spaces around AH AH to create vibrancy and vitality for our Lincoln Way West neighborhood. We’re also looking towards future opportunities and expansions downtown.  

What do you do?

I’m a photographer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to telling stories through visual art. My work centers around connection, capturing the essence of people and place to reveal the shared threads that tie us together. Over time, that same desire to connect visually has expanded into creating physical spaces where artists can gather, work, and grow.

How did you meet Sarah?

I had long admired Sarah’s work and the creative restoration projects she’s brought to life around South Bend. Her ability to see potential in overlooked spaces and her dedication to thoughtful design always stood out to me. We were introduced through a close mutual friend and quickly realized how aligned our approaches were, both valuing detail, integrity, and purpose in everything we build.

Why did you decide to work together?

When Sarah approached me about creating a studio space at Area Hall, it felt like a full-circle moment. I had been hesitant to reopen a studio on my own after closing my last one. I knew how much energy that kind of responsibility demanded. But the idea of collaborating with someone who truly understood the operational side, who shared my respect for creative work and for artists themselves, changed everything.

Partnering with Sarah has allowed me to stay rooted in my film and photography work while helping shape a campus that supports other creatives in doing theirs. It’s been an unexpectedly seamless partnership, one grounded in trust, complementary skills, and a shared pace.

What is AH AH?

Area Hall Art House (AH AH) is more than a studio; it’s a living, evolving creative campus. It’s designed for photographers and filmmakers who value space and possibility. Each area from the industrial studio to the naturally lit workspace to the historic barn was reinvented with intention: to inspire, to make room for experimentation, and to nurture community through creation.

What do you hope to see happen in the future as a team?

As we celebrate our first year, our focus is on deepening what we’ve started, continuing to restore, reimagine, and open doors for artists who want to build meaningful work here in South Bend.

We’re committed to fostering an ecosystem where creativity feels accessible, supported, and sustainable not just within these walls, but across the city. When artists thrive, the community around them does too.