Keeping Artist Workspace Safe and Accessible

Monday, October 22, 3:45pm – 4:45pm

Organized and moderated by Tracey Knuckles, senior manager, Cultural Assets, Bloomberg Associates.

Presented by Kelley Kahn, policy director for Arts and Development, City of Oakland; Elena Serrano, program director, EastSide Arts Alliance; and Amy Bonitz, president and CEO, Baltimore Arts Realty Corporation.

Cost pressures and growing populations in cities continue to make suitable workspace difficult for artists to afford. In addition, events like the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland have brought renewed attention to safety in work and performance spaces used by artists and arts organizations around the country. In response, many cities have stepped up enforcement efforts, convened working groups and task forces, and stewarded conversations that led to recommendations intended to promote safety and preserve spaces valued by the creative community. What strategies can be employed to focus the dialogue and ensure that workspace remains accessible to artists and arts organizations?

Tracey Knuckles of Bloomberg Associates will present an overview of the efforts by several US cities to respond to the need for safe and accessible workspace for artists and arts organizations and moderate a conversation between a municipal policy advisor, a real estate developer, and an arts leader. They will discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with artist workspace ranging from regulation and preservation to advocacy and new development, and explore their perspectives on the sustainability of workspace for artists in their respective cities.