When PJ Sheffield heard that a 10-acre lakefront property off Highway 301 was available for rent, he jumped at the opportunity to hold events and concerts with a relaxed outdoor vibe that students cannot find at the plaza.

“I founded Brainiac Studios, LLC in June 2013 in order to streamline creative projects that my friends and I wished to create. From music to literature to software, there’s a lot of work to be done. We needed a place to gather the brains necessary to push towards these lofty goals,” Sheffield, senior international trade and French major, said.

The house on the lot serves as a studio facility for the company, but the brains behind Brainiacs didn’t want to keep the outdoor retreat to themselves. Instead, they hold events open to the Statesboro community and offer memberships to those who want to swing by the lake whenever they’d like.

“Our membership gives you daily access to the grounds including our members’ lounge complete with a pool table and a record player. In addition, members get premium access to our events at a reduced cost. Members also have the ability to rent out certain rooms in order to host their own events from a poker tournament to Dungeons & Dragons to dinner and a movie,” Sheffield said.

In this past year, Brainiacs has hosted luaus, bonfires and house parties to get people out to enjoy the venue, and they have much more planned for the future.

“We are trying to gather enough support to throw a large-scale arts festival sometime in the spring. Until then, we just hope that we can generate an experience that people will cherish as one of their greatest memories,” Sheffield said.

Sheffield maintains that the venue’s goal is to provide a laid back environment where students can leave their troubles at the door and hang out with new people.

“We want to show everyone that we’re here and we’re ready to start something grand. We have everything in place to create the next big venue in Statesboro, but we need the community behind us if we’re going to get off the ground,” Sheffield said.