An empty storefront in downtown Burns has been remade into a creative space and small-business incubator.
Tory Schmidt grew up in Burns, attended school in Montana and has also lived in Ashland and Bend. But in 2018, she moved back to Burns to be closer to her family. She and her husband, Jeff Schmidt, and their 7-year-old daughter moved in with Tory’s mother at first.
Tory is a graphic designer and Jeff is an outdoor guide, and they were both able to continue making a living in Burns. Tory is also a visual artist who works in a variety of media; she’s painted murals in downtown Burns and also works in watercolor. But they struggled to find the space to work at home — and they wanted space to continue their creative endeavors.
So they decided to rent some space. They found a retail space downtown — it had been vacant for years when they showed interest but…
