By 2015, after several solo exhibitions and a stint as a visiting lecturer, Babko felt constrained by the conventional gallery circuit. She envisioned a place where creation could proceed without the immediacy of market demands, where interdisciplinary dialogue could happen organically, and where mentorship could be woven into everyday practice. This vision crystallized into , the “1st” denoting both its pioneering status in her career and its aspiration to be the first step for countless artists embarking on their own journeys.