Vancouver's Eastside Culture Crawl Society is hosting a public forum and exhibition about the crisis facing visual artists displaced from their studios, cooperative spaces and artistic communities by the city's fast-paced development.
The forum, on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26 at Dudoc at 1489 Frances St., will raise awareness amongst artists, planners, policymakers, politicians and the public in advance of the Crawl's four-day annual visual arts festival from Nov. 14 to Nov. 17.
The society will release its report, City Without Art? No Net Loss+, which shares findings from its survey of production spaces, says the organization's director, Esther Rausenberg.
“Over the past several years, I have witnessed a drastic deterioration in artists’ access to affordable and sustainable spaces in Vancouver due to the increasing redevelopment of Vancouver’s industrial land, coupled with the city’s chronically untenable cost of living,” she says.
“Hundreds of artists have faced eviction, prohibitive rent increases, or shrinking studio space, impacting their ability to work. While this is a critical issue affecting artists, it also has serious consequences on our city as a whole. Without art, our city risks losing its cultural vibrancy and social connection."
The City of Vancouver recently announced a 10-year plan to support arts and culture, which includes a target of creating 800,000 square feet of dedicated artist space over the next 10 years, as well as the creation of a fund for affordable cultural spaces over three years.
A multi-venue, salon-style exhibition, Displacement, mounted at various venues from Oct. 29 to Nov. 24, will feature work by artists who have faced eviction and other challenges. The venues include the Arts Factory, the Firehall Arts Centre, the Cultch and the Alternative Creations Gallery.
Check the Crawl's website for details.
Source: Eastside Culture Crawl
