Work Share: The concept of “shared artist space” is nothing new, taking its root from many sources like real-estate fluctuations in urban centres, the hippie culture of communal living and the cooperative movements of groups like ATAWEKAMIK, the Situationists and the Bauhaus among others. In recent years, there has a been a trend among artist-run spaces to play with ideas of “shared- space” creating work-only or live-work studios that financially support a shared “project space” or gallery. Work share models are also emerging as a recent trend. Work shares allow people to rent out work space where shared resources like printers, wifi and even the presence of people become a part of a monthly rental fee that is paid to reserve a spot at a large table or amalgam of cubicles.
Temporary Space, POP-UP Gallery: Many artist-run spaces are started with an intention of being temporary. They often take the form of pop-up galleries – an pop-up space that is converted into a gallery for special performance, events or even for years at a time. This is often a response to real- estate issues and the desire for intimacy, immediacy and the comfort of creating something in the space you also live in.
Non-Profit Hybrid: A number of artist-run spaces begin as a gallery, performance or gathering space but evolve overtime into a non-profit 501(c)3 entity. The reasons for this will vary on location and the intentions of the space, but mostly have to do with funding strategies, strategic partnership and mission of the space.
Residency Programs: Residency programs are often times the central component to an artist-run space inviting artists to come and live in the space while they create work or engage in the local community. Many times the intention is to provide some kind of exchange, the artist provides opportunities to show new work, present a new project or engage both the space and the community around the space through an art-making or problem-solving process.
Continuous media exposure is our marketing goal. Our publicity committee markets the gallery as a whole; individual artists pay for their own show fliers and mailings. Our direct mailing list goes out monthly to our most interested and supportive patrons. Community outreach programs help bring new people into our Gallery and expose the community to art; these include working with civic groups, schools and various organizations.