Innovations in Artist Housing

Inspiration from South America to address the “Soho Effect”

Tuesday, October 15, 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Organized and moderated by Erin Trapp, executive director and CEO, Biennial of the Americas.

Presented by Mark Falcone, founder, Continuum Partners; and Wonne Ickx, architect, Productora.

Denver’s Biennial of the Americas builds deep connections around art, culture, and contemporary society in North and South America. During 10 years of cultural exchange we’ve built a significant network with multiple Latin American cities. One shared challenge is urban housing strategies, and we’ve discovered innovative responses in cities often derided for their haphazard approaches to lower income housing including São Paulo and Medellin. Yet still, their lower bureaucratic burdens and communal living strategies offer insights about unconventional approaches that North Americans rarely consider. Our session will feature approaches that can inform artist affordability and outline the challenges and opportunities for funders seeking permanent and impactful projects incorporating art and social issues. Featuring the partners who are implementing a series of housing solutions in response to the growing crisis of artist displacement in cities like Denver, we include an effort to “hack” local zoning codes to facilitate artist housing. These projects inform how northern cities can maintain artist-friendly communities and facilitate ongoing cultural exchange.