The Art Worker 022
Introducing: STUDIO LOAN
By Virginia Broersma, artist, founder of The Artist’s Office, and co-founder of The Artist’s Contract
Last summer an artist who lives in Riverside asked me if I knew of anyone who could loan him their Los Angeles studio. He wanted to bring some of his artwork into Los Angeles and host studio visits. It is a struggle for him to get LA folks to make the trek to his studio in Riverside to see his work—it's one to three hours away, depending on traffic. So while he's close enough to tap into LA's cultural mecca, he's also just far enough that the distance is a barrier to opportunity.
I didn't know who to recommend, but his request got me thinking about the issue and then the lightbulbs in the attic of my brain flickered on. I wondered if there was a way to connect people who needed access to a Los Angeles studio for a day or a week with artists who had an existing studio that they wouldn't mind lending out. I thought that there should be a way for these people to find each other, and maybe I could help.
I know from my involvement with Contemporary Art League that access to temporary space is an issue that has been raised by many people. CAL plans to have a physical location with temporary space to rent out but this is still a long way down the road. I have a side project called The Artist's Contract (TAC) and we've partnered with CAL to boost the visibility for both our initiatives. It seemed a logical next step to further our partnership by joining forces to address this need we have both seen in our community.
TAC encourages and helps artists to use contracts and provides templates they can use for free. I recognized that allowing one artist to use another's studio is a process that should be clarified and protected by a contract and that TAC could offer an agreement template for just such a situation. Upon the recommendation of one of our attorney advisors, we applied for funding from the Sustainable Economies Law Center to hire an attorney to draft a template agreement. We were successful in obtaining the funding and attorney Hope Mohr created a comprehensive Licensing Agreement that will be housed on TAC's website as a template that will be available to use for free.
Now we are building the mechanisms for artists to connect with each other about lending and borrowing a studio. They will be able to submit their "needs" and "offers" which will be posted on a virtual bulletin board on the CAL website. We like to think of it as the bulletin board in your favorite café where anyone can put up a flier for a “room for rent.” CAL and TAC won't be directly involved in matchmaking but we will provide the tools for this type of arrangement and the space to facilitate connections.
A team of dedicated volunteers has worked for the past few months on developing this idea into what is now called STUDIO LOAN. We have had many conversations about the artists we knew who could benefit from an initiative like this.
A lot of artists we know work from home—either in a room, a garage, or at the kitchen table. A lot of them have a roommate or family situation that makes it difficult to invite curators and artists over for professional visits. Many artists live on the outskirts of LA and it can be hard convincing someone to drive to Long Beach, San Fernando, or Anaheim. This makes it enormously difficult to host studio visits—a crucial piece of networking that can develop opportunities for an art career.
Other artists don't need a long-term studio space but occasionally will have a project that requires a studio short-term. At the same time, artists who have a yearlong lease may find that they will be away for a month at a residency, or can't be there on certain days because of their side hustle. They may want to lend their studio in exchange for funds to help with their overhead. Creating a space where these folks could find each other and giving them the tools to talk through the issues that they might want to consider is the goal of STUDIO LOAN.
I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness of this core group who has worked with me to bring this project close to completion. We now need funds to push us across the finish line and so I am asking for your financial support. Please consider donating today to this important initiative.
And if you are in the Los Angeles area, come learn about STUDIO LOAN over food and drinks in solidarity with fellow arts workers, artists, and supporters. Join CAL, TAC, and ICA LA in celebration of May Day to commemorate the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement while raising crucial funds for this meaningful project.
You’re Invited TONIGHT! | May 1, 2024 | 6-9 PM | ICA LA | 1717 E 7th St | Los Angeles, CA 90021
Community Fundraiser for STUDIO LOAN
STUDIO LOAN meets the need for affordable, short-term studio space in Los Angeles and sets the groundwork for one of CAL’s long term goals: a cooperatively-owned community center that houses support and services for art workers, including short term studio rentals. This evolution of the collaboration between CAL and The Artist’s Contract is an artist-led, community-based initiative to help pair artists with studios to lend with artists who need to borrow space for a short term: a day, a week, a month.
Help us raise the $5000 we need to launch this meaningful project by donating here!
And join us TONIGHT from 6-9pm at ICA LA to celebrate International Workers’ Day and our first ever fundraiser! This event is free and open to all ✨✨✨
You’re invited! | May 1, 2024 | 6-9 PM | ICA LA | 1717 E 7th St | Los Angeles, CA 90021
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