Creative Indeed opens new chapter at Acanta Mall

Michelle Pier

By Ron Rocky Coloma

Michelle Pier remembers being a teenager hanging out at Acanta Mall, dreaming aloud: “If I could afford a space in Tumon one day, I’d want it to be here.”

She did not know then that wish would echo forward—25 years later—to the grand opening of her new Creative Indeed art studio.

“I didn’t even think about it for a long time,” she said. “But when I started looking for a space, Acanta came back to me like a whisper.”

The timing felt right. Her mom, a realtor, found an available unit that was not even listed. On Aug. 1, Pier officially opened the doors to her bold, black-and-gold studio, filled with tropical plants, easels, cozy reading nooks and art everywhere you look.

The new space marks a full-circle moment for Pier, who had to close her first studio above Mosa’s Joint in Hagåtña back in 2019.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “Then came Covid, and I just kept creating at home.”

But two GEDA grants—both for youth art programs—reawakened the dream and gave it form. She designed, assembled and built nearly everything herself.

“People are shocked when I tell them,” she said. “But if you want something done right…”

Creative Indeed is not just a gallery or workshop. It is a space that reflects Pier’s personal and artistic philosophy: art as healing, empowerment and connection.

“I’ve created through joy and grief,” she said. “Art has always helped me move through life.”

With years of experience in Guam’s creative community, Pier now leads with both heart and strategy. The studio will host workshops, private paint parties and exhibitions showcasing her own art and that of other local artists.

It is a dream long in the making and rooted in something deeper than just paint and canvas.

“At its core, this is about faith,” Pier said. “Faith in the island, in the healing power of creativity and in small visions that become reality.”

She hopes the new space will spark a creative ripple effect across Guam. “We have so much talent here,” she said. “I want people to believe in their dreams, to say them out loud and to follow them—step by step.”

As for that old high school dream of transforming Acanta into a full-blown creative arts district?

“One step at a time,” Pier grinned. “But this is a good first step.”