Support 901 Main St Art Studios

Here's a repost of their press release,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2008



Eastside Artists Going to City Council in Desperate Attempt to Save Studios



Artists from 901 Main Studios are going to City Council on Feb 12. The Council will decide whether or not they will approve the Amacon Development Group’s proposal to redevelop 901 Main Street for luxury housing. Approval of the project would result in the eviction of all 30 artists, and the destruction of an irreplaceable source of affordable studio space.

Though a study conducted by the Creative City Task force is underway, as yet City Council has no policy in place to protect these vulnerable sites. As a result, until the Office of Cultural Affairs makes recommendations to the Council in June this year, artists are left having to defend their spaces by themselves.

The artists at 901 Main are requesting that the City put a hold on this project, until the City’s Cultural Policy Review Process has been completed; until an economic impact study has been done taking into consideration the loss of this important artistic centre from the area; and until adequate time is allowed for alternative strategies, such as the artists forming a co-op to purchase the building at 901 Main or elsewhere.

The artists at 901 Main are not against development per se, but are concerned that their plight is a symptom of a much larger problem. A city of concrete and glass without artists will be a city without a heart.


CONTACT: Eri Ishii
Email: eca@telus.net
 

There's an online petition at http://www.eastsideculturecrawl.com

As developers turn their attention toward the downtown east side and beyond there is a real danger for loss of artist spaces.  This problem has only just begun and should be a big concern to any artist working in the area.