"As a recent graduate, having a studio in a place like Howe Street Studios, is all about the affordability of space” says Aileen Bahmanipour, Artist subtenant at Howe Street Studios. “Affordability not only in terms of the rent, but also what can I afford to the artists in that space, what can they afford me as an artist, and what can we afford to our culture and our city?”
The facility is owned and was developed by the City of Vancouver through its Community Amenity Contribution (CAC) program. Earlier this Fall, a Peer Assessment Committee was convened by 221A to assess tenancy applications on the basis of economic need, material suitability, as well as quality and contribution of the artistic work in the field and to the city.
"When I visit the studio of artists I admire and respect, I’m consistently disappointed by how little space they have, how much they are paying for their studios, and how unpleasant their working conditions are,” says Tiziana La Melia, Artist subtenant of Howe Street Studios. “For these reasons, an entire generation of artists in their 30s have reluctantly left Vancouver. City intervention into this problem is so necessary and has been necessary for a very long time.”
The protection and creation of arts and cultural spaces, such as Howe Street Studios, is a key priority in the Making Space for Arts and Culture report, which was approved by City Council in September, as part of Culture|Shift: Blanketing the City in Arts and Culture. Vancouver’s new culture plan recommends that the City demonstrate its long-term commitment to address acute space challenges.
Questions?
For more information about 221A please contact us at hello@221a.ca or +1 604 568 0812.