ARTIST MARKET
Approximately 40 artists attended one or both of two sessions we held to learn more about individual artists’ perception of space needs and to understand more about the depth of the artist market in Saint Anthony Park. We were overwhelmed with the number of studio/work spaces that are sprinkled throughout Highway 280/University Avenue side of the neighborhood. Informally, we know of at least 100 studio/work spaces for artists, some of which are shared by multiple artists. We believe a more formal count of these spaces should occur to help give the community more political power and influence as well as to better understand the need.
SITE ANALYSIS
During a preliminary feasibility visit, Artspace’s primary goal is not to select a site but to understand the types of buildings being used for the arts and to more fully understand the ownership dynamic. In this case, we also wanted to learn more about potential developable properties, whether underutilized buildings or land. Accordingly, we toured several buildings and conducted “drive-by” inspections of several others. Here is a summary of our thinking about the buildings we toured.
