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Pigmental Studios is opening a new home at Gallaudet U

The digital animation studio will also share its design know-how with a new academic program, internships and job training opportunities. A $250,000 D.C. grant lured the company to the District last year.

The new home of Pigmental Studios: Gallaudet. (Photo by Flickr user Mr.TinDC, used under a Creative Commons license)

Pigmental Studios‘ long-awaited expansion to D.C. is fast approaching. On Thursday, the digital animation company announced its new home: Gallaudet University.
“We are excited to be a part of the innovation economy here and to inspire the community’s youth to embrace the STEM disciplines through the art of animation,” said Pigmental cofounder and CEO Marina Martins in a press release.
Based in Los Angeles, the design studio will work with real estate developer JBG to renovate the space, located inside the Appleby Building at Florida Avenue and 6th Street, NE. It plans to open its second office — and new headquarters — there in July.
With an initial D.C. staff of 20-40 employees, Pigmental will begin working on an animated film along with “Despicable Me” animator Sergio Pablos.
Pigmental will also run a designing course for the students of Gallaudet, a bilingual school for the Deaf community, taught by Pigmental animators. It will also propose an apprenticeship program and internships.
“We look forward to working with Pigmental and Gallaudet to support their efforts to grow the District’s innovation economy,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser in the release.
On the heels of a partnership with Howard University to support a low-cost space for VC firms, the Bowser administration launched a spree of tech-centric initiatives, announcements and events for the month of May.
Pigmental Studios was cofounded in February 2014 by Martins and Adam Miller. It’s currently finishing up KONG, a 3D animation and Chinese coproduction that debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
The company is planning to hire between 40 and 80 workers in the next three years — though not necessarily workers hailing from the District. Pigmental agreed to move to D.C. last year after being lured here by a $250,000 grant.

Companies: Gallaudet University
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