For the last six years, the only other occupied building aside from the Ridge Avenue shelter on Ridge between Spring Garden and Broad streets was a charming art gallery. Tina Rocha and her partner, Michael Kowbuz, opened Cerulean Arts six years ago. David Elesh, a sociology professor at Temple, said artists are trailblazers. "Artists are often the vanguard because they are looking for cheap large space," he said.