Artist Studios

221A defines an Artist as someone who has developed skills through training (not necessarily in an academic institution) or practice in any creative discipline, is recognized by Artists working in the same artistic practice, has a history of public presentation or publication, seeks payment for their work, and actively practices their art. This can include—but is not limited to—:

• Someone who works or is skilled in any of the fine arts, including but not limited to, painting, drawing, sculpture, literary, calligraphy, printmaking and mixed-media.
• Someone who creates imaginative works, including but not limited to literature, poetry, photography, music composition, choreography, architecture, video game designers, film and video.
• Someone who creates functional art, including but not limited to jewellery, rugs, decorative screens, lighting, furniture, pottery.
• A performer, including but not limited to, musicians, singers, dancers, actors, performance artists.
• Someone who practices culturally-specific forms of art or craft, including but not limited to Indigenous language, weaving, carving, knowledge transmission through storytelling.
• Someone who organizes cultural activities including cultural workers and curators.
• Someone involved in culturally significant practices, including culture bearer or practitioner, designer, technician, tattoo artist, hairdresser, chef/culinary artist, craftsperson, cultural workers dedicated to using their expertise within the community to support, promote, present, and/or teach and propagate their art form through events, activities, performance and classes.

221A defines a “Non-Profit Cultural Organization” as an incorporated or unincorporated organization that includes as its primary objectives the non-profit creation and/or presentation of artistic or cultural practices or educational activities associated with the creation or presentation of artistic or cultural practices. 

Tenants are selected through an open process based on the eligibility guidelines of the premises. Where there are multiple eligible parties, submissions will be ranked by staff or a selection committee based on:

• Alignment with 221A vision and values
• Quality of artistic practice and impact on career, and 
• Impact on field and community. 

Priority is given to people who are from communities that are historically excluded from access to cultural spaces, which may include:

• Black people or people of African descent
• Deaf and hard of hearing people
• Disabled people or people who live with mental health challenges
• Low-income people
• LGBTQ2+ and gender diverse people
• Host nations Indigenous people (Musqueam, Squamish, or Tsleil-waututh people)
• Indigenous peoples (of Canada)
• Indigenous peoples (outside of Canada)
• Racialized people
• Refugees, newcomers, and undocumented people
• Seniors
• Women and girls
• Youth

Additional information may be requested by the staff to support ranking of the applications. 

Prospective tenants can indicate their preferences and space needs through the inquiry form to help us suggest which units fit your needs. We will then arrange tours for you to view unit(s). If there are competing submissions for a unit, 221A will use the selection and ranking criteria above to determine the order of lease offers.

Leases longer than 1 year will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Leases longer than 3-years will require additional approval from 221A's the Board of Directors.

Tenant/subtenant rental rates are established on an annual basis through 221A’s Annual Budget through the principles of “cost-recovery”. Cost recovery principles take the total cost of each Service premise, including: rent, property taxes, utilities, maintenance, waste management, insurance, and other operating costs, as well as reasonable management costs, and taking into account any forms of government or private revenues or subsidies otherwise received that together are used as the basis to determine rental rates. Rates also include a maintenance reserve for long-term capital replacement of building systems. Rental rates are cross-checked against affordability data and in consideration of unit quality compared to other non-market facilities within the city. 

Tenants enter into a Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement with 221A, which withdraws monthly rent payments directly from tenant/subtenants’ bank accounts.

221A has an Emergency Assistance Fund used to support tenants facing financial hardship. Tenants must meet certain requirements such as emergency health or financial hardship to be able to receive rental assistance from the Emergency Assistance Fund.

Any permanent or potentially permanent alteration, including, but not limited to, architectural or structural installations, electrical alterations, plumbing alterations and heavy equipment installation require approval from 221A. All subleases have an alteration clause that should be reviewed by tenant/subtenants.

Tenants are not allowed to sublease their units without express approval from 221A. All subleases have a subletting clause that should be reviewed by tenants.

There is no owner of 221A. 221A is a non-profit society incorporated under the BC Societies Act. Like most non-profits, 221A is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operations are managed by a qualified staff.

Significant changes to the building are approved by the 221A Board of Directors and the building landlord, in consultation with building occupants and stakeholders. 

221A is a non-profit organization and sets rental rates on a cost recovery basis. Revenues generated from the facility cover the costs to operate the facility and are not used to cross-subsidize operations outside of the facility.