EVERETT – Now comes the hard work.
For planners of the artist studio and living space and community art center proposed for Everett, it’s going to be weeks of brain busting and number crunching.
After the initial excitement of Minnesota-based nonprofit arts developer Artspace’s selection of Everett for one of its projects, this is the part where “we figure out how to make everyone’s dreams come true,” Artspace regional director Cathryn Vandenbrink said.
At meetings beginning today and for the rest of the year, representatives from the city of Everett, the Arts Council of Snohomish County and Artspace will try to help translate the project’s big ideas into a feasible, affordable reality.
Planners will calculate the precise size and scope of the community arts center, and how exactly to finance it, said Karen Shaw, Everett’s economic development and human needs director. The project will likely be funded using a mix of public and private dollars, she said.
The good news? Before the artist studio and living space units are even on paper, they’re in demand. A recent Arts Council of Snohomish County survey on the proposed community arts center showed overwhelming support for the project, Shaw said.
“We knew from the artists that we had talked to and even the initial introduction of the project that it was going to be an extremely positive thing and that there would be numbers of people who would want to be involved in some way,” Shaw said. “This really confirms that for us.”
The survey of 651 Snohomish County artists on the proposed artist studio and apartment spaces, 281 people said they would like to live there, and 301 people said they’d like to rent studio space at such an art center. Many of the interested artists don’t currently live in Everett, but said they would relocate to be part of the community of artists.
“We’re just very excited. This is going to be a wonderful project,” Vandenbrink said. “I just feel like there is such great support for this communitywide.”
That kind of response translates to demand for more than 80 artist apartments, though Shaw says the project will more likely include 35 to 40.
The survey also asked respondents to describe their trade or their role in the arts community. The most common responses were: painting and drawing, mixed media, photography, sculpture, arts instruction, arts advocacy, music, graphic arts, jewelry making, ceramics, fiber arts and glasswork. More than half of the artists who responded currently have a space of their own specifically for creating or displaying their art.
Other survey results showed that most of those interested in relocating are older than 30 and college educated. About 65 percent are female. About 15 percent said they were a member of a minority group.
A lot of the interested artists are adults who live alone or without children and who have flexibility to relocate. More than a quarter of the interested artists have household incomes of $20,000 or less per year, and three-quarters of them have household incomes that fall below the city’s median income. About 17 percent earn at least half of their income from their art, though most of the interested artists earn less than 10 percent of their income through their arts.
Those interested are looking for a variety of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with natural light, high ceilings, plenty of storage, good ventilation, soundproofing, high-speed Internet lines and parking.
According to the survey, units in the price range of $500 to $1,000 per month are likely to be most feasible.
Shaw said planners are also considering how much retail, art studio, classroom, office and gallery space to make available.
Planners will spend the coming weeks trying to strike the perfect balance of uses to make sure there are enough spaces available, that the spaces are always filled and the project can financially sustain itself.
“We don’t want to overwhelm one side or another,” Shaw said. “That’s what we are now getting ready to spend untold hours on.”
Shaw said because of the “ebb and flow” of planning the project, there are no concrete deadlines. However, planners hope to present a financial plan and a proposed model of the community art center by early next year. A 2008 groundbreaking is tentatively planned.
Reporter Jennifer Warnick: 425-339-3429 or jwarnick@heraldnet.com.
At a glance
What: A proposed community arts center in Everett that would include apartments and studios for artists to live and work, and possibly retail, classroom, office and gallery space.
Who: The Minnesota-based Artspace, a nonprofit arts developer, chose Everett for such a project. Representatives from the city of Everett, the Arts Council of Snohomish County and Artspace will work on the project.
When: Planners hope to present a financial plan and a proposed model of the community art center by early 2006. A 2008 groundbreaking is tentatively planned.
How much: The project doesn’t have a price tag but will likely be paid for through a mix of public and private money.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
