221A Artist Run Centre Society to Operate Howe Street Studios

Howe Street Studios. | Image: City of Vancouver.

The following information is excerpted from a release from the City of Vancouver.

The City of Vancouver undertook a call to all non-profit arts and culture organizations to operate and act as head lessor for a new 10,872 sq ft artist production studio facility. The Howe Street Studio facility is the first multi-tenant production space to be negotiated by the City through the Community Amenity Contribution process.

Located in the downtown core, this important amenity will join other cultural venues in Downtown South including The Pacific Cine Centre, The Dance Centre and Vancouver International Film Centre/Vancity Theatre and connect with the adjacent downtown entertainment district and Granville Island. In an area of rapid growth, the studios will provide a creation/production anchor in this core cultural neighbourhood, and assist in animating the local area.

221A was selected through a peer and staff jury process according to a set of specific criteria. The society currently operates five arts facilities in the Chinatown, Downtown Eastside, Strathcona and Mount Pleasant area.

Anchor sub-tenant and operating partner will be Malaspina Printmakers Society, occupying six of the 16 available studios, bringing 317 active members to the animation and programming of the space; the remaining 10 studios will be leased to individual artists and/or arts organizations. Both partners have the capacity to sustainably operate and program this new collaborative artist production hub providing a significant community benefit. 

The new facility is scheduled to be completed and ready for occupancy in the spring of 2018. To read the administrative report recommending 221A operate Howe Street Studios, click here.