When Dorchester-based multimedia artist Ray Liriano thought his rehearsal space was going to be shut down, he started to look all over the area for a new place to paint, play, produce and follow his many other artistic passions.

His search ended at The Record Co. in Roxbury, a two-site set of secure studio spaces with a combined footprint of over 40,000 square feet.

With facilities currently located on Massachusetts Avenue and Morrissey Boulevard, The Record Co. has over 100 rooms that can be customized for any type of creative expression. In addition to being an ideal environment for creativity, it is also a perfect place to try out new material, make new friends and build new alliances that support all involved.

“Most people think a music space is kids tinkering with toys,” said The Record Co. Executive Director Bobby Boyd. “These are professional [artists] who tour and make a living doing it.”

According to Boyd, The Record Co. enjoys 95% occupancy and over 70% of all community members who frequent the studios make their living primarily through their art. Liriano is just one example of that.

Part of what makes that possible is the low rental rates for studio space. With rental rates starting at just $10 an hour, The Record Co. gives artists “the opportunity to try and fail,” Boyd said. An artist himself, he recalls having to book studio space for hundreds of dollars an hour and basically having to leave as soon as he had set up his instruments and mics because he had run out of money.

“If you have a space where you can set up and leave it as it is and come back the next day,” he said, “that is really important because you can pick up where you left off instead of having to put everything away and set up.”

Unlike many other spaces where tenants have to take everything with them after every creative session or worry that their gear might get damaged or stolen, The Record Co. offers 24-hour security, so artists never even have to leave.

With the security he has — both in terms of open time to create and knowing that his creations will not be messed with — Liriano has been able to explore new expressions, including his latest project, which includes a musical album that has a complementary painting for each song.

“It made me dream a little higher,” he said, “and want to go at this at a full-time level.”

Though some have expressed concern that the low rental rates would start a “race to the bottom” among other studio spaces, Boyd said that many in the area are actually stepping up their game to offer all that The Record Co. does, including large common spaces, kitchens and vending machines and customizable and convertible spaces that can work for musical or visual artists.

“We want to show artists how to build community,” Boyd explained. “We’re fighting the displacement… and making sure that people can afford it... [and that] they have a home.”

Liriano is not the only one who uses his space for more than music. In fact, The Record Co. currently hosts producer and engineer Víctor Echéniz, the podcast studio for The Dorchester Reporter; and world-famous muralist Rob “Problak” Gibbs, whose mural adorns the Massachusetts Avenue side of The Record Co. building’s exterior.

“We used to get arrested for doing that,” Boyd laughed when showing off Problak’s studio space. “Now we’re getting paid to paint.”

In addition to hosting performances by legends like James Montgomery, Yo-Yo Ma and Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck, The Record Co. has used its large garage space and huge parking lot at the Morrissey Boulevard location to present concerts and even entire music festivals and hopes to engage more friends and neighbors to see all that they and their creative community have to offer.

“You see amazing talent here,” Boyd said, “and I think that, if people could hear it and see it, they would get on board.”

The Record Co.’s offerings have also attracted entire companies to its premises, including the printing company Chainmail Media and Ugly Duck Records, which have taken up residence in a suite of multiple rooms to offer soup-tonuts recording services.

“It’s turning into an ecosystem,” Boyd said.

The newest development in The Record Co.’s expanding universe is TRC Academy, an educational program that offers artists support with the business elements of their creative careers.

“It helps them learn how to advocate for themselves,” Boyd said of the academy, which recently graduated its first 100 students, “even if they do not pursue their creative dreams.”

With a lease that runs through 2027, Boyd and his team are building all they can in their current spaces. However, as plans to redevelop the Morrissey Boulevard area loom, they are also looking for a more permanent home for their growing community.

“We are working with the Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture,” he noted, hoping that others will step up with ideas regarding where The Record Co. can go from here.

Growing up in Boston, Boyd recalls being surrounded by gang violence and racial strife and is grateful that he was able to find a way to express himself creatively. This gratitude is what fosters his deep desire to help other artists in the area and to help them get the recognition and support they deserve.

“I am this community,” he maintained proudly. “I grew up here and know Boston has an amazing music scene.”

And while he sees a promising future for the area’s creative people, Boyd realizes that he cannot do it alone.

“It can be thriving,” he said, “but it needs investment and legislation.”

In the meantime, artists like Liriano are happy to have a place to call home and a place to be surrounded by a creative community.

“We are very influenced by our surroundings,” he said, “and we try to influence them by bringing our creations to life.”