Artist Definitions & Artist Certification

One of the key complaints of many artists is that they either get kicked out of a building because it is going condominium or that it is not guaranteed to remain artist space. Several methods exist to guarantee that artist space remains available to artists in the long run.  These guarantees can occur come from:

1.      A municipal restriction, such as a required deed restriction, or from

2.      A restriction placed on an individual building’s legal documents.  

'Artist Certification' can take on different meanings based upon where the restriction on the property is coming from.  If a city is placing a restriction on the deed of a unit developed specifically for artists, typically they will have an artist certification process that the city runs.  If the restriction is being enacted for just an individual building, artist certification is usually established by a the developers of that building, which might be a group of artists or a non-profit developer.  

Are Deed Restrictions a Good Idea?

Depending on who you talk to, deed restrictions for artist space are either the greatest good (if you are an artist) or a not so great evil (if you are a banker).  The decision to restrict a building specifically for artists and how much and how you go about restricting a building should be well thought out and considered carefully.  Artistlink can help you through this process.