We plan to establish an incubator to promote and support creativity and artistic entrepreneurship and collaboration across sectors. Community involvement, public access for education, presentation and observation, live/work, gallery, retail and recreation space are all cornerstones of our vision. As Saskatoon grows, so too will its need for new cultural amenities. The concept of ArtSpace is inspired by other communities who faced very similar challenges and found creative and effective solutions to overcome them.
ARTSPACE will provide exhibition spaces and performance venues for artists to showcase their works. Retail spaces will include coffee shops, restaurants, gift shops and art supply stores.
ARTSPACE will provide administrative homes and meeting spaces for cultural organizations. New synergies will develop between creative industries to stimulate exploration, collaboration and growth.
Many industries have experienced the synergy that comes from clustering or co-locating. A Saskatoon success story is Innovation Place and the biotechnology cluster that it has created. By offering a place where creative industries can come together ArtSpace will create new opportunities for collaboration and growth.
ArtSpace will provide an environment to incubate new and established artists, from both a creative perspective and the business side of art, including exporting their products to outside markets. Programing will be available to any artist working in any medium – something that will only be feasible with a critical mass of end users.
An important key outcome for artSpace will be to provide a space for the general public to create art. This will include programing for preschool, students (both primary and secondary), seniors and socioeconomic underprivileged people. By creating an arts civic centre, artSpace plans to not only make art more accessible but also provide the education system with additional educational resource. Hands-on learning as a great way to keep kids engaged in a positive way. Our goal is to maximize use of our classroom space throughout the entire day, creating programing for students and seniors during the day and for the general public in the evenings.
Projects similar to artSpace have retrofitted and renovated derelict historical buildings in older neighbourhoods. The results have been remarkable and have contributed to neighbourhood revitalization, increased property values and the preservation of historical community character.
The old decommissioned bus barns located in Caswell Hill is similar to that used in a successful conversion in Toronto – Artscape’s Wychwood Barns facility. The proven success of this facility and the positive effect that it has had upon its neighbourhood, makes the Saskatoon bus barns an extremely appealing option for ArtSpace.
Beyond economic factors, the cultural sector is also associated with citizen’s social engagement, including connections to volunteering, donating, helping neighbours, and better health. This new cultural amenity will not only enhance the lives of every day citizens, but also help protect an industry that adds to the vitality and attractiveness of a community. A great selection of recreational activities is a key part of any healthy city and art is an important part of that mix. Making art more accessible to the public and creating a space for art and artists to flourish is at the heart of ArtSpace.
Arts and culture play an important role in wealth creation, as well as creating a more desirable community in which to live. An hub would attract new workers and businesses. As Saskatoon looks to grow its local economy, different sectors require individualized incentives. While a manufacturer may require a tax abatement to help spur growth, the art and culture industry requires something quite different. One of the major challenges for the arts/culture industry is the lack of affordable space making it difficult for the arts industry to grow and flourish. By creating a long term dedicated space to serve as a cultural hub, ArtSpace aims to overcome this obstacle as so many other North American cities have.
One interesting benefit for a project of this size is its draw as a tourist attraction. Not only will it have a significant local and provincial draw, this space will serve as educational conference and workshop space for visiting tourists and artists, such as seen on Granville Island in Vancouver.
ARTSPACE is exploring a number of development opportunities within Saskatoon. The focus so far has been on the former city bus barns, located in Caswell Hill.
When ArtSpace first formed, it did so to address the increasing lack of affordable studio space for artists in Saskatoon. To tackle this problem, ArtSpace looked to other cities to see how they overcame this very same issue. Many created dedicated artistic hubs that rent out studio space below the market rate by offering programing to the public offsetting the cost of running the facility. In many cases, these facilities are financially self sustaining, needing no public funding to operate. Many of these examples also retrofitted and renovated derelict historical buildings in core neighbourhoods. The impact from these projects has been remarkable and led to neighbourhood revitalization, increased property values and the preservation of historical community character.
One example of this is Artscape’s Wychwood Barns facility in Toronto. Similar to Saskatoon's bus barn, it was a large storage and repair facility for the city’s transit department surrounded by neighbourhoods similar to Caswell Hill. Slated to be decommissioned in 2016, the Saskatoon bus barn property is a great option for ArtSpace based on the success of the Wychwood Barns project.
An important concern for the Toronto community was that the property not fall into disrepair and sit vacant, becoming an eye sore and a target for vandalism and crime. Also important for both communities; the incorporation of park space. While a large open green space is always desirable, in both circumstances, this option ran the risk of becoming a needle park. Converting the Bus Barns into a cultural hub creates a safe and exciting amenity for Caswell Hill with the potential to have the same economic effect that the Farmers Market had on rejuvenating Riversdale.
Susan Pattison
Emma Williams
Chad Berg
Roberta Miranda
Loretta Brost
Saskatoon Clayworks
Glassworks 360
Gracebourne
Brendan Copestake
Funky Artsmiths Art Studio
Art Placement
Craft School YXE
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