Building Your Case for Development

Artist space development (ASD) and advocacy is conducted by a range of stakeholders—from the artists themselves, to local artist-focused organizations and community development corporations, and to national research organizations and public policy groups—and from a range of motivations—from creating spaces responding to artists’ special needs, to catalyzing economic investment, to developing a competitive economic edge and quality of life indicators. To make matters more complicated, ASDs exist within a complex and dynamic system of market forces, community and neighborhood economic impacts, and political, social, and cultural trends and expectations. Thus, at all levels, ASD is a cross-disciplinary process that benefits from a strong command of substantiated information addressing the critical questions that surround ASD projects. Research, commissioned by LINC, has found that positioning artist space developments within the context of other community development and urban revitalization priorities has a direct effect on advocacy strategies needed to implement the project, and positively impact the project’s realization.¹

Advocacy and the Impact of Relationships

Research has shown that in order to increase support for artist spaces, the simplest and most important step all artist space advocates can take is to play a more active role in the community and economic development systems within which they exist.² Quite simply, artist spaces and all other types of municipal planning initiatives and public purpose real estate developments often share the same underlying revitalization goals held by the community at large. Thus, by participating in the broader system of community and economic development in which they operate, artist space developers create relationships with other community leaders, which aids in building projects that are more efficient and more responsive to local community needs and opportunities.

Positioning: Factors to Take Into Account

Positioning reflects the needs and desires of both the artist community and the broader community, as well as the interests of the people and organizations who provide expertise and resources to develop the space. Additionally, the Urban Institute posits that developers should evaluate potential ASDs from three crucial metrics when preparing to make their case for support: the specific attributes of the property, the history of local ASD projects, and special policy and funding initiatives that include artists.³ The following factors and sample questions are crucial for artist space developers to reflect upon in order to prepare for opportunities and challenges:

• The Needs and Desires of Both the Artist Community and the Broader Community — Developers should understand the nature of the local artist population and the context in which they work. (e.g. What existing relationship with the broader community have artists developed, and what might happen with the introduction of a new ASD? What are the economic, social, cultural, and physical benefits an ASD project might bring to the community?)
• The Interests of the People and Organizations Who Provide Expertise and Resources to Develop the Space — Developers should analyze the costs and benefits of potential project types and partners as they strongly influence the development process (e.g. Will the development be carried out by “accidental developers,” non-profit, or for-profit groups?).
• The Building and the Laws that Affect It — Developers should evaluate the location and nature of the space (e.g. Is the property in an industrial, mixed-use, or residential zone? Is the area designated for economic development or undergoing planning? Does the property have historic value or a historic designation?)⁴
• History of ASDs — Developers should assess local development track records and potential advocate collaborators (e.g. Do interested artists, nonprofit and for-profit developers, lenders, funders, and regulatory agencies have experience with ASD, and, if so, has this experience been positive or negative? Are artists organized and vocal in supporting ASD? Is there an experienced agency or individual(s) who can help bring all the needed parties together?)⁵
• Special policy and funding initiatives that include artists — Developers should examine the political climate, existing special designations that can include artists, and policy priorities or programs potentially intersecting with ASD (e.g. Is the city trying to attract artists as residents or business owners? Do artists have financial or other incentives to locate there? Are arts funders focused on artists’ space needs?)⁶

¹ Jackson, Maria Rosario, Florence Kabwasa-Green, the Urban Institute, Artist Space Development: Making the Case (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2007).

² Walker, Chris and the Urban Institute, Artist Space Development: Financing (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2007).

³ Jackson, Maria Rosario, Florence Kabwasa-Green, the Urban Institute, Artist Space Development: Making the Case (Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2007).