Project Spotlight: Studio Loan
VIRGINIA BROERSMA and CORRINA PEIPON took some time out of their busy art and advocacy careers to introduce STUDIO LOAN, a joint project from The Artist's Contract and Contemporary Art League that helps artists in the Los Angeles area to lend and borrow studio spaces. Not only do we hope to raise awareness of this program locally, we hope that folks in other cities will consider bringing the program to your community!
What is STUDIO LOAN?
The easiest way to explain STUDIO LOAN is to describe the problem it aims to solve. Last year an artist who lives and works in Riverside asked Virginia if she knew of anyone who would lend him their studio in Los Angeles for a day so he could line up studio visits. It was challenging to get Los Angeles curators and gallerists to drive to Riverside, even though it is relatively close. Virginia didn't know of any available studios, but instantly recognized how short term studio space was hard to come by yet a pervasive need and this was confirmed by Corrina's findings through the Contemporary Art League. We partnered to offer a solution and out came STUDIO LOAN.
STUDIO LOAN is a joint project from The Artist's Contract and Contemporary Art League that helps artists in the Los Angeles area to lend and borrow studio spaces for short terms. The service provides an online bulletin board where people can post studios to lend or post their need for a temporary studio; an adaptable online template for a license agreement contract; and a checklist of recommended best practices for engaging in lending and borrowing space. The service is free and available to anyone who can access an internet connection.
It can feel overwhelming being an artist in a high cost of living area like Los Angeles. Do you think this project might make it easier for artists to stay in the area?
This project arose from direct communication with artists around the county and beyond who told us they want more access to short term studio space. This need is definitely about the increasing cost of studio space, but it's about more than that, as well.
Some artists only occasionally make work that requires a studio or don't have schedules that allow for consistent studio work; these are artists who are underserved by the current model of long term leases on commercial spaces. Some people don't want to live in Los Angeles but know that the art world is centered there; having access to short term studio space can make it possible to arrange meetings with people who could be instrumental to an artist's career in the city.
We are starting out with Los Angeles, but imagine if STUDIO LOAN became a digital space where anyone could look for a short term studio in New York, Seattle, or Miami. An artist could create their own artist residency experience by visiting another town, removing the gatekeeping process. There are so many possibilities.
Besides needing space to make their work, one of the biggest challenges to being an artist is working in isolation. How does STUDIO LOAN support community?
STUDIO LOAN definitely gets folks talking and meeting one another in a way that other services don't. Isolation is real for artists, and sometimes it's hard to build community beyond a specific bubble. STUDIO LOAN is one of many initiatives that artists and art workers have been and continue to build to help mitigate these limitations that can be part of working in our field. We view this project as a part of the solidarity economy where artists share resources with their communities to create a more sustainable livelihood.
You have each spearheaded other notable projects to help empower artists and contribute to sustainable independent careers. How did those projects help lay the groundwork for STUDIO LOAN?
When CAL first partnered with ICA LA to have public gatherings, we heard at almost every gathering that people wanted access to temporary studio space. This really helped us see that our long term goal of establishing a community-owned art center featuring short term studio rentals was spot on for meeting a community need. Having an ear to the ground helps us be responsive through problem-solving.
Through conversations through our respective businesses and organizations, we both hear current needs and challenges that artists are facing. Engagement with our community made STUDO LOAN an easy lift because it is a simple solution to a widespread need, and we've had a lot of support from volunteers and others who want to see the project succeed. This truly is a community initiative and you don't cultivate that overnight.
STUDIO LOAN is a collaboration between The Artist's Contract and Contemporary Art League.
What's kind of support does STUDIO LOAN need to succeed, and how can folks get involved?
We need help spreading the word. This is a free and easy thing to do: tell artists about STUDIO LOAN so that they can use it if they ever need it. A project like this will succeed if artists are aware of it and using it.
If you have financial resources to share, we welcome donations. Everything costs money, even goods and services that are free have to be paid for by someone. Every donation made to CAL and TAC goes really far to supporting these programs.
We also have a desire to see STUDIO LOAN in cities across the US. We encourage folks outside of Los Angeles to reach out if they want to make STUDIO LOAN available in their city.
