As Dave Hickey noted in a Portland talk, art evolves more quickly than the culture at large because individual artist-innovators communicate continuously, sharing ideas and reactions to seeing work, and work making, up close, in person
Critical to the process are dense live-work spaces integrating raw studio space with living, at minimal cost, as artists are often the working poor. New construction costs place rental of that space in the $3+ per square foot per month range. Artists operate in the $1 and below range, ideally sub 50 cents per square foot per month. Rising energy prices add an additional burden to heat it, from $.10 on up, and that is rising.
You would think if someone wanted to just live in a warehouse they could, but seismic upgrades in preparation for "the big one", fire regulation and building codes, all chosen city of Portland policy, work against it. While the City does not have infinite enforcement resources and illegal spaces sometime exist as chimeric Brigadoons for a time, there is more demand than supply and City policy is part of the reason.
There are existence models though. ArtspaceUSA is a non profit developer. Their non profit structure saves the developer profit, allows corporations, foundations and governmental entities to donate and allows them access to some government programs and additional offsets such as system development charges, otherwise unavailable to private developers.
ArtspaceUSA developed the Everett Station Lofts and the Toshiro Kaplan Lofts in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. No one could argue against the positive impact that the Everett Lofts, and, in particular, the storefront galleries, have had on visual arts in Portland. The Toshiro Kaplan Lofts have a different model, with market rate storefronts, including established contemporary galleries, such as the G Gibson Gallery, Seattle's leading photography gallery (which added painting with Maija Febig, no stranger to this blog, after moving into its new space.) The Toshiro Kaplan Lofts also host storefronts for some leading Seattle non profit galleries such as the long running coop SOIL and the respected Platform.
Portland's population of artists is making a name for itself and there is a continual flow of artists between Portland and US art centers. Where will they make the work that puts them, and Portland, on the international art map?
Part of the process for doing so is a public discussion tonight.
Panelists Sam Adams, Portland City Commissioner and Mayor Elect; Brad Malsin, Beam Development, Milepost 5; Brian Wannamaker, Falcon Artist Community (Albina and Killingsworth); Ben Kaiser, Project X; TJ Norris, Artist and Jenene Nagy, Artist join moderator Gavin Shetler, Director of the Portland Art Center and Program Manager for Milepost 5 are here to speak and listen.
They would like to hear of your experiences and needs.
The discussion is at Milepost 5, a live work development by Maslin, walking distance to the 82nd light rail stop. www.milepostfive.com 7PM-8:30 Free
