VMF Residency Program
VMF Residency Program is an experimental project that examines the opportunities and barriers around utilizing vacant retail spaces for low-barrier temporary artist studios. In 2020, the program undertook a feasibility study and a year of community engagement with stakeholders that included artists, city staff, policy makers and landowners. In the fall of 2021, three local artists were selected by a jury of their peers to take part in a six-month residency at retail units at The Shops at Bentall Centre and The Royal Centre Mall.
The residencies are on the stolen and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
This research project is a partnership between VMF x Hessey C+A
What if we could unlock 25,000ft² of temporary low cost/accessible artist studio space for BIPOC and emerging artists in Vancouver?
The VMF Residency Program is a research project that examines the opportunities and barriers around using vacant retail spaces for temporary artist studios. There are hundreds of thousands of square feet of unoccupied commercial real estate across the city. Meanwhile, there is a mounting urgency and strong civic policy direction to unlock more physical spaces for both individuals and organizations in the culture sector.
Phase 1:
Feasibility Study
Winter 2020 - Spring 2021
Phase 1
We knew that artists needed space to work and that emerging artists could benefit the most from accessible temporary space and residencies. Phase 1 examined the opportunities and barriers involved through a feasibility study. Engagement sessions with artists, landlords and the City of Vancouver demonstrated the project’s value for each stakeholder group.
Research Results
During our phase 1 research we found that all stakeholders (artists, landlords and City of Vancouver) were aligned. Each stakeholder would benefit from the use of vacant retail as temporary space for cultural production. Artists benefit from access to space offered by landlords. Artists in vacant spaces helps build community, attract potential tenants for Landlords and aid with economic recovery within the city. Increased access to cultural production spaces supports City goals to create opportunities for artists, supports community economic development and COVID recovery.
Proposal: Residency program for artists in vacant retail spaces
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Affordability for Artists
Discounted space provided by landlords allows space to be made accessible to artists.
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A Clear Approvals Path
By tackling the approval process, Un-Leased aims to reduce the time, costs and expertise required by artists and landlords.
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Flexibility for Landlords
The program will allow flexibility for landlords to minimize any barriers to participation.
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Increased Capacity for Artists
The program can also facilitate career development, mentorship and community engagement opportunities for artists.
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Reduce Systemic Barriers
BIPOC and emerging artists can access studio and exhibition space aiding in the reduction of in-equity of opportunity.
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Space Activation
Temporary artist studios can create community engagement around otherwise vacant spaces, contribute to urban vitality and attract potential tenants for landlords.
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COVID-19 Recovery
Activation of vacant spaces, as well as support for artists, can aid community economic development.
Download Our Phase 1 Report
Download our 86 page report detailing findings from Phase 1. This study was conducted through interviews and research of publicly available information collected between the winter of 2020 through the spring of 2021.
Phase 2:
Pilot Projects
Dec 2021 - May 30, 2022
Project Description
In the fall of 2021 we were able to place three artists in three spaces for 6 month residencies. The units were donated by our project partners, Bentall Centre and The Royal Centre Mall. We decided to keep the number of artists we would support to three during this pilot phase in order to learn from what the program needed to run smoothly.
Resident Selection Process
The VMF Residency Program residents were selected using a jury process. On the jury was Germaine Koh, Jay White and Patrick Cruz (see team below) who are established artists amongst their peers and are representative of the communities this residency program intends to serve. The jury members drew on their own knowledge of local art and cultural communities to shortlist 18 local artists in need of studio space, whose practices would suit the opportunity, and who would be amenable to providing feedback about this pilot program. The shortlisted artists were invited to fill in an application and a final selection was made by the jury for the three available pilot phase studio spaces.
Artists in VMF Residency Program:
Jonas Jones
@jonasjoness
Sol Hashemi
Portfolio
Tafui
@tafuiTeam
Adrian Sinclair
Project Lead
Matt Hessey
Lead Researcher
Germaine Koh
Artist Consultant & Outreach
Matthew Richter
Consultant
Phoebe Bei
Program Administration Assistant
Britany Lawrence
Location Manager
Jay White
Juror
Patrick Cruz
Juror
www.patrickcruz.org www.kamiasspecialprojects.com
Partners
Key Partner
Hessey specializes in Social Purpose Real Estate projects in British Columbia by providing project management services for social impact organizations.
Care and experience guides projects through research, development, design, and implementation. Hessey caters their services to each project’s needs in order to help maximize potential social impact.
Program Partners:
Germaine Koh
Funding Partner:
City of Vancouver Cultural Services Grant
Supporting Partners:
Bentall Centre
Warrington PCI Management
City of Vancouver, Arts Culture and Community Services
Downtown Vancouver BIA