My days have become swallowed up with organizational issues lately and with community work.
It is thrilling to be back at it. It is different this time. I am focusing on fibre arts advocacy and education.
I spent years of my life doing social work, social justice work and advocacy. I worked with people who were poor, disabled and discriminated against in the most extreme ways. I am Canadian but we still have poverty, disabilty and homelessness.
Sometimes it feels like priviledged work compared to the life saving work I did in the past.
I mean that I am working on issues for more priviledged people than before.
Except that the average income for artists in the community is lower than welfare rates, that housing for all poor people is drying up here and that it is getting impossible to find studios.
Except that without advocacy the artists in this town might have to leave and sell from far away. Or not produce anything at all inovating and just end up focusing on product to survive.
The neighbourhood I live in has the most artists in the city and the most in Canada. It doesn't surprize any one local to hear that you work as an artist. Lately the neighbourhood has been taken up by people with lots more money than before. Renters are having to move away or pay more than they can afford for rent. Most artists in the community rent.
Studio spaces are becoming scarce and expensive. Artist's live work spaces have been taken up by people who did art on the perifery and bought up and occupied the spaces called "New York Lofts". "New York Lofts" or unfinished spaces are costing more than 600,000 to buy. Many people who bought them don't even live in them or rent them out because they are speculating.
Our new Conservative government and their real estate buddies in parliament are not helping but encouring this development.
The Olympics are coming and throwing everything out of order.
So people and artists are going homeless in record numbers in this town and it is hard to advocate for artists because we are still so Protestant here that art is considered a luxury.
Artists are also going homeless.
I am lucky. I own a little shack of a house and a small yard and garden. It was the cheapest house in town when I bought it. This is a beautiful city and has a very mild temperature for Canada. It is inspiring to live here.
Now we have to protect it again and I have to go and do some community work again.
Some of the students from Capilano College are weaving messages in the chain fences protecting the properties. They are putting up messages and sewing reminders of this place. They are activated and strong and they reminded me that there is never a time when we stop protecting our community.
2 comments:
as a social justice person I hear you -- but must admit my protestant bones are resisting, and saying "get a real job then" -- Wish I could loose the historical voice in my head, as its not how I think of art anymore.... Ideas?
Many of the artists here work at "real jobs" and do their art too. Grants are getting harder to get and rents are screaming up in both housing and studios. I have recently seen 100 square feet advertised for more than $500. Houses are rented as a house but contain basement suites and have upstairs and garages rented out. Starting about $2500.
Many landlords don't even let people have clotheslines.
It doesn't present any hardship for the millionaires who are moving here.
Ideas are floating around like all new buildings need one art residence in them and a proportion of their profit going into art purchase. Moratorium on demolition of buildings used for art.
Tons of people are showing up to City Council and protesting some of the more extravagant redevelopment. Why do we need one apartment for 11 million dollars?
Not building but apartment!
Art is real work and if artists leave the soul of a community leaves with them.
My son moved to Winnipeg and is now able to afford a beautiful house, do his art and go to school.
It is really hard for people in Vancouver because it is so popular here. Many artists from here are moving away to places like Winnipeg.
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