The Art Studio: Crossroads Hotel

The Crossroads Hotel has always prioritized working with the local artists and the Kansas City community to provide a platform and a place to express. I first started collaborating with the hotel when it opened back in 2018, working alongside the past Director of Lifestyle, Jeremy Bennett, to concept and develop the music and DJ program.

It felt like a full circle moment when The Crossroads hotel reached out and asked us to design an on-site art studio. I was genuinely honored. Not just because it was an important creative opportunity, but because they chose to work again with a local artist instead of going the corporate design route. That said, working within corporate parameters has it’s challenges—but it stretched me to think more creatively and intentionally. The design went through a few iterations with the biggest challenge being that it needed to comfortably seat 12 people.

The space itself has a bit of a secret identity. Funny enough, the room used to be an old electrical/storage closet. I already knew of its existence because the hotel used to store event tables and our DJ gear in there. I never imagined I’d be asked to convert into an art studio. Now that it’s finished though, it feels like a hidden layer in the hotel—another world behind closed doors.

After hearing from the Crossroads team how the room would be utilized, I started to dream it up. I wanted the studio to feel lived-in, layered, and full of small discoveries. A place where someone could walk in, pick up a book, study a piece of art or just go to feel grounded.  I wanted to create something that felt both inspiring and functional—but raw and soulful like the Crossroads Hotel itself. Much of the artwork and objects in the room were sourced locally from places in and around the city. Even a few fun pieces from my recent travels. 

Seeing the space come to life was rewarding. It’s rare to be given the chance to build something that contributes to a city’s cultural life in such a visible way. I’m honored to have been part of this project. I hope the studio reflects where the city has been and where it’s going—and for the artists and visitors who pass through, an inspiring place to recharge and make something new.

- Interior Designer, Austin Goldberg

“Wood Road Studio”