2008 Recession: Is It Over? A Focus on Artist Ownership

The foreclosure crisis in 2008 created vacant land bank lots scattered in the St. Clair Superior Arts Quarter. In 2012  there is an opportunity to develop these sites for an affordable energy-efficient artist studio/ house for ownership.

ArtSpace-Cleveland convened a focus group of artists, diverse in age and medium, to participate in a discussion of an  artist studio/house for ownership. The artists in general liked the studio/house concept, but some artists would rather  own a studio in an industrial building.

Some artists envisioned a studio/house in a cluster setting. An artist questioned the value of a new studio/ house in a  neighborhood where the houses are older and lower priced? A common theme emerged— Who might the buyer be? Who  would be attracted to the project? The focus group identified older well-established artists, artists renting studio space,  creative lifestyle candidates who want to invest in the area, artists who see an opportunity to open a gallery, part-time artist with full-time employment, family with two incomes, or professionals who want to be part of an artist community.

ArtSpace-Cleveland has spent 10 years dealing with issues of space for artists to live and work and to build a creative  community. We welcome artists to join the Artist Ownership Project. Contact ArtSpace- Cleveland at gouldloft@sbcglobal.net