Artist Space Developers

The following is a list of community development organizations who have developed artist spaces nationally and internationally:

International

• Toronto Artscape  Artscape champions community-driven arts facility development by: building public/private sector partnerships; designing self-sustaining operating models for facilities; supplying management services for construction and renovation projects; conducting research and studies; and providing guidance and workshops. Artscape's portfolio is an array of properties that provide low-cost work and live-work studios to professional artists, offices for non-profit arts organizations, and resources for the non-profit and charitable sectors.
• [SPACE] Founded in 1968, [SPACE] provides affordable studios and professional development to 400 artists across London, UK at 16 sites.
• Acme Founded in 1972, ACME is a London-based charity that supports the development of fine art practice by providing artists with low-cost studio and living space. It has helped over 4000 artists with this fundamental means of support.
• Wasp’s artists studios Founded in 1977, Wasps Artists' Studios is a charity, operating about 420 studio spaces across Scotland for some 750 artists.

U.S. Artist Space Developers

• Artspace Projects, Inc. Founded in 1979, this non-profit development agency for the arts is based in Minneapolis and has created space for artists and their families in 13 projects across the U.S. with many more in development. Their website contains a link to an interesting forum (Artspace Minneapolis sponsors this forum which allows local artists to find and discuss live and work space).
• Cultural DC  The Cultural Development Corporation creates opportunities for artists and arts organizations that stimulate economic development and improve the quality of life. Their scope includes service to artists and arts organizations, property owners, developers and residents throughout the DC metropolitan area.
• Artspace Utah Artspace is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit community development organization founded in 1980 and working to revitalize neighborhoods by creating mixed-use projects that incorporate affordable housing, cultural amenities, and commercial spaces.
• Artspace  Since 1995, ArtSpace Connecticut, LLC has renovated distressed historic buildings and converted them into residential rental apartments. Beautiful old buildings in Hartford, Norwich and Windham have been completely rehabilitated to provide attractive, affordable housing. ArtSpace apartments are designed to meet the needs of artists and online media professionals, programmers, entrepreneurs, and others who seek a safe, attractive environment with generous space to live and work.
• Activspace A provider of artist space on the west coast.
• Artists and Cities  This is a local non-profit artist space development corporation for the City of Pittsburgh.
• Artspace Cleveland Founded in 1998, ArtSpace-Cleveland is dedicated to developing and sustaining affordable living and workspace in a community setting.

Massachusetts-Based

• Fort Point Arts Community, Inc., Boston, MA FPAc has overseen the development of 3 major artist live/work buildings in Boston. Currently the main activities of FPAC are artists lease negotiations for the 33 floors rented from the Boston Wharf Company; advocacy for Fort Point artists in relation to the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project, the South Boston Seaport Master Plan and the Convention Center; exhibitions in the FPAC Gallery and the annual Open Studios weekend. 
• Redbrick Arts Redbrick has developed artist work and live/work spaces on the North Shore.

Technical Assistance Providers For Artist Space

• ArtistLink is one of these for Massachusetts!
• www.orgspaces.org - This organization provides technical assistance to non-profits on all issues relating to the building and maintaining of space. Great website full of useful information divided into: finding space, long-term solutions, technical assistance (including a glossary of real estate terms), financing and funding, and a library of research.
• ArtHouse serves as a clearinghouse for information about artists' studio and live/work space and cultural facilities. ArtHouse provides an artist certification service for artist-restricted housing units.
•  LISC Local Initiative Support Corporation LISC provides capital, technical expertise, training and information in the form of grants, loans and equity investments to Community Development Corporations for neighborhood redevelopment. LISC offices around the country provide different forms of financing. LISC has a history of initiating bold projects with CDCs that offer significant financing for projects that affect cities. The LISC website has a great resources section that describes and provides training on the development process. It includes a long list of resources, online training sessions and access to the knowledgeplex, which is a large site of shared information about the development of housing and other community-based buildings.
• Technical Assistance Providers  This is a simple web list to other organizations that provide technical assistance for affordable housing. Contains links to many useful organizations.
• Thomas Dolan Architecture Thomas Dolan is an expert on building live work space in Oakland, CA. This web site has a ton of good information for architects and developers of artist space, including a good section on building codes and information about unit types.
• ArtSpace Seattle  is a grass roots, artist driven, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving existing artists spaces, advocating for new artists spaces and educating on the benefits of having artists spaces in our community. Has an interesting way of presenting information into "Problems" and "Solutions" with nice Blogs from artists.
• Art in Ruins (www.artinruins.com) ArtInRuins is a place where people can come together and discuss the issues affecting art, artists, musicians and architecture in Providence, RI. Has a discourse on artist space in the Stories section: writing from local papers, transcripts of community meetings, examples of what has worked and not worked in other cities, and their own perspective of what is happening in Providence, as well as local rumors and rants.

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Please note that this web page links to a series of web sites which represent the work of many other artist assistance organizations and entities.  In no way does ArtistLink take credit for the work of any of the organizations listed on this page.

Representation of Artist Assistance Organizations

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