Core Project Team

• INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
• GET TO WORK
• FORMING A TEAM
• • Core Project Team
  • Project Stakeholders and Potential Supporters
  • How Does this Artist Space Reflect Your Community’s Voice?
  • Enlisting the Help of Professionals
• ON LOCATION
• FINANCE

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Photo courtesy of International Sonoran Desert Alliance.

The impetus for an artist space project can be varied and plural but in all instances a primary team is useful to guide the project's development and evolution. This initial group is often formed when the idea of space development emerges. And while the group might involve only a small number of core stakeholders initially (for example artists willing to champion a space project in their neighborhood or another set of community-minded actors), this core group can greatly facilitate the advance of a project and integrate other stakeholders gradually if organized effectively.¹

Purpose of Forming A Team

Joint effort. Real estate development can be a complicated undertaking. Working in a group that includes artists' perspectives can greatly expand the possibilities and capacities of the project. For example: an abandoned warehouse may provide too much space beyond an individual artist’s need, but may be perfect for like-minded artists to share. Additionally, working as a team allows ASD's many tasks to be shared; a larger capital investment as a group; and a host of other benefits.

Snowball effect.  A well organized, fully functioning initial group adds to the confidence of potential partners (such as other artists, the surrounding community, funding resources, and local governments), and helps expand the capacity of the project through time. 

Decision making. Create a consensus building process within the group to establish project goals and the organizational structure that will govern the project.

Communicating Project Goals/Updates. ASD projects will require information to be shared within the artist group/core project team leading its efforts, but also with potential stakeholders to garner support.  

Process of Forming A Team

Formal vs. Informal Structures. An informal structure is sufficient enough for an initial group. The group can decide later on whether it wants to incorporate into a nonprofit, form a cooperative or build other legal structures. Additionally, a legal entity is not necessary even if there are multiple parties jointly renting a property. However, when shared ownership is involved, ownership structure should be decided and legally confirmed before acquiring the property.² For example, under whose name will you be obtaining the title and purchasing the property? How will you divide the ownership and occupancy of the property? How will you manage the property?

The choices of forms: Various choices are available for sharing the ownership of and managing a single property. For example: tenants in common, joint tenancy, tenancy by the entirety, community property, general partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, syndication, corporation, real estate investment trust, condominiums, cooperatives, etc.³

The Legal Entity Chart compares the most common forms of legal entities.⁴

This information is NOT legal advice. Seek a lawyer’s service and s/he will help you decide what kind of organizational structure best fits the project's goals as well as its potential liabilities, costs, legal procedures, etc.

Document shared goals. Space needs; the kind of artist community the project wants to build; the ways the project wants to interact with the neighborhood; and any other goals your team may have for the facility should be documented to ensure they are met.

Establish decision-making process. Establish the form and procedure of making decisions among the group. Typical forms include:

• Direct democracy: Every member participates in the decision making process, usually by voting. Majority rules.
• Representative democracy: Decision made by elected committee incorporating the concerns of the members.
• Consensus: Decisions are made when a certain degree of consensus is reached. The degree of consensus is agreed upon by all members in advance.
• Unanimous: Decisions are made with the agreement of all members.

Determine procedures and routines. Are regularly scheduled meetings necessary? How will information be disseminated among members? What is the process for joining the team or relinquishing team membership?

Responsibility of membership. How much capital investment and labor should every member contribute? What are the rules members should follow?

Self-education. If ASD is unfamiliar to the artist group/core team, doing some initial research is a wise investment before launching into such a capital and time intensive process. Visiting successful projects together or attending related workshops led by technical expertise can help keep the group better informed and thus allow your group to seize every opportunity for the project to apply best practices in the field.

Leadership structure. Even if the groups' activities are communal, selecting representatibes to adminster some of the organizational work, including managing funds and maintaining financial records, can aid the group's ability to work well together.

Further Reading

Morsch, Esq., Thomas. “Square Feet Chicago-Ownership Models.” Chicago Artists Resource. Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.   Date of Access: Oct 30, 2009. http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/node/8687

Hecht, Bennett L. Developing Affordable Housing: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations: Chapter 14. New York: Wiley, 1999.

Kartes, Cheryl. Creating Space: A Guide to Real Estate Development for Artists: Chapter 8. New York: American Council for the Arts, 1993.  

Walker, Chris. Artist Space Development: Financing. Washington D.C.: Urban Institute, 2007.

“Leasing and Ownership Structures.” ArtistLink. Date of Access: Oct 30, 2009. http://www.artistlink.org/?q=spacetoolbox/fordevelopers/legalgovernmental/leasingownershipstructures

“Square Feet Chicago-Business Organization.” Chicago Artists Resource.  Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Date of Access: Oct 30, 2009. http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/node/8805

“Square Feet Chicago-Community Development.” Chicago Artists Resource. Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Date of Access: Oct 30, 2009. http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/node/8809

Sources

Kartes, Cheryl. Creating Space: A Guide to Real Estate Development for Artists. New York: American Council for the Arts, 1993. 

Hecht, Bennett L. Developing Affordable Housing: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations. New York: Wiley, 1999.

^{[1] Kartes, Cheryl. Creating Space: A Guide to Real Estate Development for Artists. New York: The American Council for the Arts, 1993. 136-153}

^{[2] Ibid, 136-140}

^{[3] Hecht, Bennett L. Developing Affordable Housing: A Practical Guide for Nonprofit Organizations. New York: Wiley, 1999. 466-476}

^{[4] Kartes, Cheryl. Creating Space: A Guide to Real Estate Development for Artists. New York:  American Council for the Arts, 1993. 137}