Excess Schools - Grimke

The Grimke School, located on Vermont Avenue NW near U St., is one of the most desirable locations for potential arts use in decommissioned schools. The school is right across the street from the METRO stop at 10th and U and is currently used by Fire/EMS and the Department of Corrections.

Several years ago the DC Office of Planning crafted the DUKE Plan, a framework for a Cultural Destination for Greater Shaw/U Street. The full report can be found HERE and the pages specific to the Grimke area, labeled the African American Civil War Memorial Sub-district, can be found HERE.

I was able to tour the space back in the summer and found an intact gymnasium space that could easily house a large performance space. The gym floor has substantial water damage, so the roof might need replacement, but otherwise its in good shape. The rest of the school has been carved up into offices for the Fire Department, etc. Artist studios would be an easy retrofit.

The African American Civial War Museum, headed by Frank Smith, is also a potential tenant.

DC Gov. Orders Auction

On January 30th Alex Cooper Auctioneers are auctioning over 30 vacant residential buildings located throughout DC. Buildings are located in all four quadrants and most look like they need a lot of work.
More information at the Cooper web site HERE.

Buyer's Seminar is scheduled for Thursday, January 22 at noon at One Judiciary Square - 441 4th Street NW.

Schools - Pre-Offer Conference - January 9

A Pre-Offer Conference will be held on:

Friday, January 9, 2009
1 pm-2:30 pm EST
Frank D. Reeves Center
Community Room, 2nd Floor
2000 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009

Please RSVP to dcbiz@dc.gov

I will be there, so look for me if you have any questions.

In the first go-round, the Warehouse Theater joined with the Washington Project for the Arts to submit a proposal for the Cook School. We are currently planning our re-submission.

Excess Schools Solicitation for Offers

More information about the Solicitation for Schools -

The Government of the District of Columbia (“District”), through the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (“ODMPED”), invites qualified development teams (“Offerors”) to respond to this Solicitation for Offers (“Solicitation”) for the development, redevelopment, or adaptive reuse of the following sites (each individually, a “Development Site”):

Backus Middle School
Grimke Elementary School
Hine Junior High School
Langston School
M.M. Washington High School
Randle Highlands Elementary School (historic 1911 school building only)
Rudolph Elementary School
Slater School
Slowe Elementary School (unoccupied portion)
Stevens Elementary School
Young Elementary School

Find the rest of the information HERE.

Schools on the Block - Post Article

From the 12/23 edition of the Washington Post -

The administration of D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said yesterday that it is seeking to redevelop 11 now-shuttered public schools, inviting developers to submit proposals that can include retail space, offices and high-priced and affordable housing.

Read the rest of the article HERE.

Shared Space - The Soundry in Vienna, VA

There is a new shared artist space in Vienna, VA called The Soundry. Located in a former auto body shop that is being converted into a shared space for artists and musicians, The Soundry is all about sharing and cultivating creativity across their membership. Its an interesting concept, with a monthly membership fee ($99) and access to the entire building. There is no dedicated studio space but secure storage is available. They envision a broad range of users, from visual artists to musicians to actors, etc.

For more info, check out their web site - The Soundry.

Grimke School - A new RFEI coming soon?

Rumor has it that the DC Office of Property Management is going to release another round of "Requests for Expressions of Interest" for a few schools, including the Grimke School on Vermont Ave. NW, just off U St.

Back in the summer, OP put out an RFEI for about 8 schools (including Grimke) but then narrowed the process to exclude all proposals except charter schools.

Artist Studios - 52 O

OCCUPYING 28,000 SQUARE FEET, over four floors, 52 O Street Studios is one of the largest and oldest buildings dedicated to the practice of Fine Arts in DC. Located just off North Capitol Street, the building is occupied by painters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers, woodworkers, and video artists who seek to continue and advance the guiding principle behind its opening in 1979, "to create an affordable working space for artists in Washington DC." More information, including contact information for the owner Marty Youmans, can be found at 52ostreetstudios.org. The website lists these resident artists:

Stevens Jay Carter
Betsy Damos
Matthew Scott Davis
Adam Eig
Cianne Fragione
Andrea Haffner
Peter E. Harper
Matt Hollis
Micheline Klagsbrun
Raye Leith
Kendall Nordin
Holly & Ashlee Temple
Lisa Marie Thalhammer
Gabriel Thy
Ben Tolman

Church for Sale - 13th St. NW

The church at the corner of 13th and Irving NW is for sale - $2.5M. The sales price includes the 3 story annex on Irving.
The Sanctuary seats 175. Zoning is R-4, so most commercial uses would probably require a special exception.

Shared Office Space - H Street NE

The H Street Greenhouse Incubator is a 1,500 sq. ft. facility that houses 12-16 business suites / desk spaces. Suites range in size from 70 – 170 sq ft., and are individual private offices with doors, or are single desks in an open flexible floor plan. The small business tenants share a wide range of office facilities and services as part of their lease, including landlines, voicemail, fax, high-speed Internet access, conference room, kitchen space, cleaning services, on-site recycling and storage space. Furnished or unfurnished spaces are available, as well as paid use of copiers, scanners, printers and the like.

Rates are reasonably priced at approximately $500 / month for a flexible open floor plan work space (100 sf), to $1200 / month for an Executive Office Suite of approximately 170 sf. With 24-hour 7 day a week access, this could be the hottest new “green” spot in town.

For more information on the H Street Greenhouse, or to arrange a tour, visit www.hstreetgreenhouse.com

Restaurant for Rent - Cool space near U St.

The old Flamingo Ethiopian Restaurant - 1119 V St. NW - is for rent. $2500/month for the first floor (incl.patio) and an additional $1500/month for the second. And they have (or had) a liquor license. Small space - would make a great neighborhood restaurant and bar.

More Creative Economy - Links

Click HERE to get to the New England Foundation for the Arts and a list of Creative Economy web sites in New England and all over the world.

Click HERE to find out about Creative Clusters, an annual conference going on right now in Glasgow.

Click Here to get to the Creative Economy Resource Center.

Click HERE to get the recently established Center for the Creative Economy at the University of the Arts in Philly.

Click HERE to get to Innovation Philadelphia, the economic development organization that serves 11 counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware and is working to establish the Greater Philadelphia Region as a national leader and world-class destination for Creative Economy industries, businesses and talent.

Mass. Establishes Creative Economy Council

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick recently signed the bill establishing the first Massachusetts Creative Economy Council (MCEC).

The MCEC’s function is to “develop a statewide strategy for the enhancement, encouragement, and growth of the creative economy in the commonwealth and to promote through public and private means responsive public policies and innovative private sector practices.”

More info here and here.

Arts District - Hyattsville

DCMud has a nice post about the "Arts District" in Hyattsville, just across the DC line. EYA is developing several parcels on both sides of Route 1. According to the blog post, the economy has slowed progress, but people are gradualy moving into the live/work spaces. Read more here HERE.

Ultimately Rhode Island Ave could be an extensive art corridor, running through NE DC all the way out to the University of Maryland.

Ontario Theater - for lease - Adams Morgan

The lobby and adjoining space of the old Ontario Theater on Columbia Road is for lease. A CVS occupies the audience chamber of this great old movie theater and a discount store was the most recent occupant of this L-shaped space, but they are looking for a new tenant. Its a pretty big space, about 9,000 SF in total. Needs a lot of work, but will be a cool space when built out. I got a look at it last week and it sprawls from the basement to the 2nd floor, with lots of nooks and crannies.

Artist Inaugural Ball

Rumor has it that some folks are working on a big party on January 20th for artists. Stay tuned....

Yesterday's Artspace Visit - H Street

Yesterday I was part of a discussion about artist live/work housing in DC, led by ARTSPACE, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to creating affordable space for the arts.

The H STREET PLAYHOUSE invited ARTSPACE to help investigate the potential to create an affordable, self-sustaining artist live/work project and to talk about the key elements that determine feasibility, including project concept, site selection, market need, funding and sustainability, and local leadership.

While the conversation was specific to the PLAYHOUSE, it touched on broader themes in affordable housing for artists. Artspace will produce a report from the visit and I will try to excerpt portions here - probably in mid-December.

About the H Street Playhouse
The home of resident companies Theater Alliance and Forum Theatre, the H Street Playhouse houses a 100-seat black box theater, rehearsal studio and Gallery H. Along with city officials, small business owners, and a few other theaters, the H Street Playhouse has been at the forefront of a movement that is now gathering steam to revitalize the historic H Street commercial corridor. More info - www.hstreetplayhouse.com

The Artspace Mission
Artspace’s mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists and arts organizations. Artspace pursues this mission through development projects, asset management activities, consulting services, and community-building activities that serve artists and arts organizations of all disciplines, cultures, and economic circumstances. By creating this space, Artspace supports the continued professional growth of artists and enhances the cultural and economic vitality of the surrounding community. Find out more at www.artspace.org

Auction - Kokopooli's is for sale

Commercial condos in the heart of Adams Morgan that are currently operating as the Kokopoolis Nightclub. Units 1 and 2 have been combined totaling 2,931 square feet. The auction includes the business and all the contents: 10 televisions, 1 projector, 3 commercial refrigerators, commercial deep fryer, 8 regulation sized pool tables, furniture, 2 refrigerators with 8 keg capacity, surround sound stereo, full inventory of liquor plus many other items in the nightclub. The ABC license is a “Retailer CR 01” and is within the Adams Morgan Moratorium Zone. The unit has exposed brick, open floor plan, 2 entrance doors, 2 bathrooms, office, commercial kitchen, popcorn machine and full complement of glasses and plates. All liquor and food licenses are active and also convey with the sale.

New Vision for Baltimore Arts District

Tip of the hat to Neal Takemoto for his coverage of new plans for the Charles North Arts District in Baltimore

And a link to the Baltimore Sun

Rhode Island Avenue Great Streets Initiative

What is the Rhode Island Avenue NE/ Great Streets Initiative?

Rhode Island Avenue NE is a District of Columbia Government designated “Great Streets” corridor. The Great Streets Initiative is a multiple agency effort to transform under-invested corridors into thriving and inviting neighborhood centers using public actions and tools, as needed, to leverage new private investment.

This is an important and long-overlooked corridor that is well-positioned to gain in its importance and prominence to the District. Along with community leadership, property and business owners, residents, and other stakeholders, we invite you to take a significant step with us to develop a plan for the commercial districts along the corridor.

Can Rhode Island Avenue become the next Arts District, connecting downtown DC to the initiatives in Mt. Rainier and beyond?

PROJECT CONTACT: Derrick Lanardo Woody, Coordinator-Great Streets Initiative, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development - derrick.woody@dc.gov

More Info Here

Creative Economy - studies continue

From the DC Office of Planning -

The District’s economy is changing in new and promising ways, and one of the most vibrant economic assets of the city is its Creative Economy — the enterprises, organizations, activities, and people who are involved in the work and business of art and culture. The Creative Economy generates significant income in wages and revenues, yet this economic contribution goes unrecognized and opportunities for leveraging these assets are often lost.

The Washington DC Office of Planning and the Washington DC Economic Partnership are working to raise the profile of the District’s Creative Economy and to document its value to the local economy. They have retained Mt. Auburn Associates, an economic development consulting firm, to help create a strategic plan for our Creative Economy.

As one of the initial steps in this process, the Mt. Auburn team is holding Focus Groups in each of the key industry segments of the District’s Creative Economy – Theater, Music, Film and Media, Culture Heritage, Fashion, Design and Architecture, Visual Art, and Technology.

The goal is to help us better understand the competitive strengths, challenges, and opportunities of each of these segments.

More details to follow.

SPACE AND THE GREAT BEYOND

Visual Arts Facilities that Offer More than Just Places to Create
WED., NOV. 12, 1 – 3:00 PM

HAMILTONIAN GALLERY
1353 U STREET, NW WASHINGTON DC 20009

Join Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC), Paul So, Founder, Hamiltonian Gallery; Claire Huschle, Executive Director, Arlington Arts Center; and Debra Moser, Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for the Visual Arts for a roundtable discussion on the programs and facilities supporting independent visual artists. After a tour of newly opened Hamiltonian Gallery we’ll discuss such facilities and the ways these spaces work to cultivate the visual arts in the DC area.

Bring your legends, lessons and questions to share with fellow artists. Lunch will be provided.

o Where should visual artists begin the quest for studio space?

o How do you determine what facility is right for you?

o How much should you expect to pay? How much should you expect in return?

o How might being part of a studio program affect an artist’s work? What kind of an impact does working among peers have on an artist’s work?

RSVP to redcircle@flashpointdc.org or 202.315.1321 by Monday, November 10, 2008.

Red Circle Members FREE
Non-Members $20.00

Rhode Island Ave. NE - Arts District????

Preliminary meeting held last night by Derrick Woody of the Office of Economic Development to discuss general improvements to the Rhode Island Ave. NE corridor, including the possible establishment of an Arts District. This process will last many months, culminating in a Corridor plan that will be submitted to the City Council for approval sometime next summer.

I will post further updates as I get them.

Good Neighborhoods for Artists in DC - Bloomingdale & Ledroit Park

A lot of artists have moved into Bloomingdale and Ledroit Park over the last decade. And with house prices beginning to moderate from the highs of 2005, now might be a time for others to take a look. This weekend area brokers are holding a Multiple Open House Walking Tour. Its a convenient way to see what is available in the neighborhood in one short period of time.

Neighborhood Open House Event! Take Shaw Metro and walk, or start at any of the addresses listed.

Not familiar with the historic neighborhoods of Bloomingdale and LeDroit Park? Join us on Sunday from 1-4pm for Open Houses throughout the neighborhood!

Better yet, plan to come early and stop by the Bloomingdale Farmer's Market at 1st & R St NW (10am-2pm), or have a cup of coffee at Big Bear Cafe (also at 1st & R St NW), or Windows Cafe (1st & Rhode Island NW). Pick up some local dairy products (mmmmm, real cream in glass bottles) at Timor Bodega at 2nd & Rhode Island Ave NW).

Start at any of these properties. Lists will be available at each participating Open House:

$289,900 1BR 1BA 70 Rhode Island Ave NW
$316,900 3BR 2BA 1823 4th St NW
$399,000 2BR 2BA 1824 North Capitol St NW #1
$399,900 2BR 2BA 2109 2nd St NW
$429,000 1BR 1BA 531 T St NW #101
$459,000 2BR 2BA 125 T NW #3
$519,900 3BR 2BA 2030 1st St NW #2
$545,000 4BR 2BA 5 U St NW
$599,900 5BR 2.5BA 12 Randolph Pl NW
$599,999 5BR 3BA 2207 1st St NW
$615,000 4BR 3.5BA 67 U St NW

For more info, call 202- 641- 5373.

Multiple Broker Event!

New Grant - DC Arts Commission

Just got word from our pals over at the DC Arts Commission that they are introducing a new grant program - DCARTS International. The grant funds travel abroad for DC artists and arts organizations. More info -

DCARTS International is an inaugural grant program offering support for District of Columbia arts organizations to travel abroad to participate in cultural festivals, exhibitions, touring programs and other opportunities to share their talents. The DC Arts Commission recognizes the important role cultural communication plays in increasing international understanding. This program aims to cultivate the globalization of Washington's rich tradition of diverse cultural expression and support for highly accomplished artistic talent.

They offer up to $20K and the deadline is November 12. So give them a call! 202 724-5613

DC Arts Commission - Small Project Grants

The deadline for the Small Projects Program (SPP) is fast approaching - October 15.
The SPP offers quick response grants of up to $2,000 to individual artists and arts organizations. The program seeks to make grant funds more accessible for small-scale arts projects with total budget that do not exceed $4,000.
For more info, check out the DC Arts and Humanities Commission's website - DCARTS.DC.GOV

New Artist Studios - Brentwood, MD

The Brentwood Arts Center annex at ez Storage in the Gateway Arts District has storefront studios for rent. Located at 4103-4105 Rhode Island Ave. (Just a quarter mile from the DC line on Rhode Island Ave.) This is a rare opportunity for artists to have store front studio space where you can make art and exhibit your work all at once. This space is also available to arts related organizations.
They have a total of 1835 square feet of store front space on Rhode Island Ave. that rents for $1835 a month plus utilities. The storefront space can be kept intact or subdivided into 4 individual storefront studios.
For more info call John Paradiso, Arts and Community Development Officer, Gateway CDC at 301-864-3860 Ext.3.

Jazz Club coming to 5th and Eye - plus Zenith Gallery

Just announced - the 475,000-square-foot project, called Arts at 5th and Eye, will be anchored by a ME by Melia hotel from Barcelona. It will also include a music venue call the Boisdale Jazz Club from London, a bike shop, a bookstore, café, and the Zenith Art Gallery – a fixture of the 7th Street Gallery scene.
The development will also feature 166 apartments, where 50 units will be reserved for affordable renters earning less than 60 percent of the area median income. The developer has also proposed a 238-space parking garage underground.

Artomatic - 2009

Word on the street has Artomatic getting ready to return in 2009. Negotiations over the building are underway.

New Arts Services Organization - City Artistic Partnerships

Matty Griffiths, a mainstay of DC's theater scene, has just created a new organization that should be a great resource to DC area artists - City Artistic Partnerships. CAP’s initial focus will be on the visual arts, performance art, music, and live theater presented in a host of venues around the city.

Matty says "CAP will connect artists with vital resources needed to get their work out there. We live in a vibrant arts community, however many artists still need support and are often unaware of where to find it.” So check out his web site - CAP - and be on the look out for lots of good things, including 7x1 Samurai at the Warehouse in October

New Executive Director for Arts and Humanities

Mayor Fenty has named Gloria Nauden as the new Executive Director of the Arts and Humanities Commission, to replace Tony Gittens. From the press release:

Gloria Nauden is the founder of Radar Entertainment Group, a District-based boutique marketing and video production company. Radar provides specialized marketing services to companies such as Verizon, Lincoln Mercury, Moet Hennessy and XM Satellite Radio. Nauden previously worked as an executive at Black Entertainment Television in the Strategic Business Development division successfully managing a $12 million development budget with 250 employees spanning three states. Nauden has lived in the District for almost 20 years, and serves as a volunteer at numerous civic organizations including, Parklands Community Center; Sasha Bruce House; Foods & Friends; The Covenant House; Thurgood Marshall Center; and House of Ruth. Nauden currently serves on the DC Arts and Humanities Commission.

Proposed Amendments to Zoning Regulations Governing the Arts

Find the Proposed Amendments to be discussed at the Sept 18 Zoning Commission Hearing by clicking here.

DC Zoning - some links

If you are interested in more information about DC Zoning, you can find the DC Office of Zoning's website here.
For Zoning Maps, go to Maps.
For information about Zoning Districts, go to this Summary.
And to see brief descriptions of various Overlay Districts, including three that relate to the arts, go here.

DC Zoning Commission - Public Hearing on the Arts

Thursday September 18 at at 630pm at 441 4th St. NW, the DC  Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on the recommended changes to the Zoning Code in the areas of Arts and Culture. There has been little publicity for this event, but it is an important one for DC artists.

I was part of the working group that worked through a number of ideas and came up with a series of recommendations based on a look at codes in other cities and an analysis of the success and failures of the current DC code as it relates to artists and arts lovers.

You can see some of our recommendations by clicking here. These have gone through one set of review, at the staff level, and now will be the topic of the hearing on September 18.

Theater Resources Unlimited - Artist Resource

Another organization based in NY is the Theater Resources Unlimited.

TRU was formed to promote a spirit of cooperation and support within the general theatre community by providing information and a variety of entertainment-related services and resources that strengthen the capacity of producing organizations, individuals producers, self-producing artists and other theater professionals.

If you are in or around New York next week, they are holding a talk - How to Run a Theater Company (Without It Running Your Life) .

Fractured Atlas - Artist Resource

Cool organization based in NYC, but serving artists all over.

Fractured Atlas is a non-profit organization that serves a national community of artists and arts organizations. Our programs and services facilitate the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it. We help artists and arts organizations function more effectively as businesses by providing access to funding, healthcare, education, and more, all in a context that honors their individuality and independent spirit.

They have an innovative liability insurance program that offers affordable insurance coverage for events, public art, teaching, and much more.
Plus lots of other programs - check out the full web site here.

Artist Housing - Hyattsville, MD

Renaissance Square, a new artist apartment development in Hyattsville MD that is part of the Gateway Arts District, is now renting.

Just steps away from Hyattsville's Route 1 Corridor, Housing Initiative Partnership (HIP) is building 44 new units of green, affordable housing. One and two bedroom units will be available to households earning between $19,850 and $39,350. Actual income limits will be based on household size. Rents will range from $375 to $900 per month - utilities are not included.

Amenities for the residents include:
High ventilation workroom.
Computer room. Two computers to have high speed internet access and graphics arts software.
Music practice room.
3,000 square foot shared studio space.
High visibility gallery/community space.

More information at Renaissance Square

Space Resource - Cultural Development Corporation

Anne Corbett runs an organization that helps put artists and arts organizations in touch with developers. Lots of info at CulturalDC.org

Artists can join the Red Circle, a creative network with access to seminars, openings and advice, for only $75/year.

New Development - Brookland

DCMud reports on the release of the Brookland Small Area Plan, by the Office of Planning. A full rundown at the link below, but it includes this nugget about Arts and Culture -

Beyond purely commercial endeavors, the Plan also makes several recommendations for making Brookland a cultural draw. These include the establishment of a Brookland Arts/Cultural District that would offer incentives to local organizations, such as Dance Place and the DC Film Alliance, for their participation.

At this preliminary stage, no developers or retailers have laid claim to the Brookland project and no firm timeline has been established for redevelopment efforts. With the Plan’s proposal for extensive restructuring of the neighborhood's basic infrastructure – from extending key roadways to altering traffic light times - it’s a safe bet that any proposed construction should be considered “coming soon” until further notice.

Click on this LINK to read the entire post on DC Mud.

Artist Studios - A. Salon

A. Salon, Ltd. has been around for over 20 years.
The organization leases space at 6925 Willow Street in DC (Takoma Park) and makes it available to artists of all kinds for use as studios. Each studio-holder becomes a member of the co-op and executes a Space Use Agreement permitting the artist to use a specific area or room.

Space-Use Agreements are for a 12-month period. Studios are available as is but changes may be made by the artist with the approval of the Executive Board.

Newly available studios are shown to the public every Wednesday night during our weekly open-house, at which time anyone can tour the building, the main art gallery, available studios and if interested, new member applications can also be submitted. Please explore the links at left for more information.

Info here

Greater Washington Creative Communities Initiative

This is a relatively new initiative, I think, from DC's Community Foundation, the Greater Washington Creative Communities Initiative.

The Creative Communities Fund was established to increase resources for the creation, development, and distribution of new works made by local artists. The centerpiece activity of the fund is an awards program. Annually, up to $150,000 is awarded to non-profit organizations working in partnership with artists in the region. By providing this incentive to organizations, CFNCR encourages them to increase their commitments to individual artists. The fund also serves as a regional model for investment in artists and art making.

2008/2009 grants were recently announced and they were awarded to organizations and individual artists who are working together on specific projects. More info here

LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity)

Another cool initiative - based in New York - started 5 years ago.

LINC (Leveraging Investments in Creativity) is a ten-year national initiative to improve conditions for artists in all disciplines, so that artists can more readily do their creative work and contribute to community life.

Web site is here

The initiative has several components, including improving access to health insurance, live and work space, and promoting and connecting efforts of individual artist communities.

School Space - meeting

Cultural Tourism DC has arranged another meeting about the schools.

A follow-up workshop, designed for those who need assistance with the application process. Developers and architects who have previously worked with arts organizations will offer their expertise in project feasibility, design, build-out cost, and other renovation concerns.

Friday, August 8, 2008
9:30 - 11:30 am
Cultural Tourism DC’s office
1250 H Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20009

RSVP by Wednesday, August 6 to Membership@CulturalTourismDC.org

Chicago Artists Resource

Every city should have a site like this one! Check out chicagoartistsresource.org

The site is all-encompassing for artists in Chicago, featuring news, events, calls for art, info about housing and much more!

Created by artists, for artists
Chicago Artists Resource (CAR) is a program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
CAR describes the landscape of opportunity for Chicago artists working in Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts

Excess School Space

DC's Office of Property Management has put out a Request for Expression of Interest for the Reuse of DCPS Excess Space. Site Visits of the 8 schools on the list will be held July 28 and 29. Details can be found here - OPM - REI

ArtistLink in Mass.

ArtistLink is a great resource for artists in Massachusetts. And an example for artists and arts providers in other areas. From the ArtistLink web site -

ArtistLink is a collaborative effort to create a stable yet dynamic environment for Massachusetts artists.

ArtistLink achieves this mission by taking a leadership role on artist space by providing individual artists, developers, and municipalities with targeted information and technical assistance and by advocating for relevant policy changes at the state level.

For more info, check out their web site - http://www.artistlink.org

Creative Economy - #2

WDCEP recently announced the next step in what is now being called the "Creative DC Action Agenda". From the WDCEP web site -

On Wednesday, May 25, WDCEP and its partners held the kick-off meeting for the Creative DC Action Agenda, with winning contractor Mt. Auburn Associates, Inc.

Mt. Auburn will be working with Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates, Inc., Regional Technology Strategies, Inc., and Technical Advisors Kingslow Associates, LLC and Bill Strickland.

The Creative DC Action Agenda is part of a broader Creative Economy Initiative, which is a collaboration between WDCEP, Office of Planning, and the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities.

The Creative Action Agenda will lay out an action plan for strengthening the District's creative economy, expanding employment and business development opportunities, and enhancing neighborhoods.

Future posts will follow the progress of the initiative with, hopefully, information about how artists and other creatives can get involved.

The Creative Economy

There is much buzz about the Creative Economy these days. Every major city has an initiative, including DC. So far the effort seems to be "top down", driven by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the DC Office of Planning, the Washington DC Economic Partnership and others. To make a true impact, however, it must involve artists and arts administrators who are active on the front lines. Here's a link to the WDCEP web site announcement about Creative DC Summit of September, 2007 - http://www.wdcep.com/aboutus/creativedc.php

Introduction

This is a blog about finding affordable space for creative uses. I'll look at space needs for artists and independent businesses - the lifeblood of a thriving city.

It is intended as an information source for artists who are looking for spaces to create and present and live. And as a resource for independent businesses.

I will include information about :

studio space * rehearsal space * exhibition space * retail space * performance space * living space *office space * and much more!

In addition to a focus on these specific issues in Washington, DC, I will reference ideas and innovative projects from all over the world. Blog posts will be wide-ranging, from specific to theoretical.

My goal is to help artists and independent businesses find affordable space that can serve as a base for exciting and groundbreaking work.