EAST ALTON - A new studio space is coming to East Alton with a grand opening this weekend, and owner Chelsea Ricketts can’t wait to change the culture of the beauty industry one artist at a time.
From 12–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Eastgate Plaza in East Alton, Ricketts will introduce TBD Studios, a new spot where beauty artists and photographers can rent out studio space and build their clientele. The grand opening will feature a vendor fair, music, treats and other fun. TBD Studios is as much about the culture as the product, and Ricketts can’t wait to share her new venture with the community.
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“I feel like you have to see, and once you do, I think everyone will be pretty excited,” she said. “This space is for the woman who is building what’s next. I want artists to come in here and I want them to be able to grow. I want them to feel like they have the opportunity to expand.”
Ricketts offers eyebrow services and permanent makeup through her personal business, The Brow Doctor. She is eager to relocate her services to TBD Studios and open the studio spaces up to other estheticians, nail artists, hair stylists, photographers and more. She hopes to welcome a variety of artists.
These artists will rent out spaces at TBD Studios and focus on building their brands. Ricketts envisions a building where many artists come together for professional development opportunities and support while creating their own businesses.
TBD Studios also has a podcast studio and an event space available for rent. The goal, Ricketts emphasized, is to cultivate a culture of creativity and support.
She is open about her previous experiences in the beauty industry, which she describes as “unhealthy” and “toxic” at times. She wants TBD Studios to have a different feel.
“I’ve found in my several years in the beauty industry, and even from the jump when I was in school, that it’s very cutthroat,” Ricketts shared. “There should be more unity and more understanding and more positive energy…I really wanted a space where people don’t feel that pressure where they have to stay small or they’re not allowed to have that creative freedom or to do something else.”
As part of this goal, Ricketts also plans to offer an entrepreneurial scholarship starting in January 2027. This scholarship will give an emerging artist the opportunity to pay lower rent prices throughout the year as they build up their clientele.
The scholarship is “very intentional” and aims to help a new artist get their start. Ricketts shared that she was part of a similar program when she started out, and she is excited for the chance to pay it forward.
“It was training wheels so that I could also grow. I knew that I needed to get clientele, and it gave me the opportunity to hustle and become the business owner that I am today,” she said. “I want to give back that opportunity.”
Ricketts will celebrate this and the new studio space during the grand opening on Sept. 12. She encourages everyone to come out and see TBD Studios for themselves while enjoying vendor shopping and other fun activities. She hopes the experience brings the community together and encourages more people to book with her artists.
For more information about the grand opening event, visit the official Facebook event page. Check out the official TBD Studios website or their official Facebook page for more.
This featured article is sponsored by TBD Studios. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
