2009 Annual Report

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 2  

Arts Habitat Associat ion of Edmonton is a non-profit

company mandated to find, manage and develop space for the

arts and for the artists. It uses the power of the arts to catalyze the

development of neighbourhood and community, and is becoming

an active player in city revitalization projects.

 

 

 

 

Board of Directors:

David Tam – Chairman

John Mahon – Secretary, Treasurer

Donna Clare - Director at Large

Jeff Collins – Ex-officio (non-voting) Director

Staff :

General Manager: Linda Huffman

Program Coordinator: Katherine Kerr

Bookkeeper: Al Rasko

Tenant Manager: Jeff Collins

Property Manager: Davies Realty Inc

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 3  

Message from the Chairman

The past year has been a tremendous year of reinvigoration, redevelopment and

renewed growth for the Arts Habitat Association of Edmonton. We succeeded in

reaching important milestones in 2009 which included celebrating the tenth

anniversary of our first artist live/work residence - ArtsHab 1 and committing to the

redevelopment of the Alberta Cycle Building on 118 Avenue. In progress for 2010 is

the creation of an affordable housing cooperative for artists. As well we have

undertaken several new initiatives that will assist artists and arts organizations with

space related issues.

I wish to acknowledge my fellow board members for their long term commitment as

they have more than demonstrated their support for this reinvigoration with an

increased commitment of time and energy. I also take this opportunity to thank our

General Manager and staff for their tremendous efforts.

We look forward to a very exciting year ahead as we complete these projects in 2010.

David Tam

Chairman of the Board of Directors

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 4  

General Manager’s Report

The year 2009 was a remarkable year of transition for Arts Habitat Association of

Edmonton. Beginning in January, Arts Habitat received operational funding from the

City of Edmonton. In May, Linda Huffman was hired as the General Manager and in

October, Katherine Kerr was hired as Program Coordinator. A significant number of

opportunities were presented to us this year and with the support of the City of

Edmonton and the Edmonton Arts Council we have been able to embark on a new era

of growth and sustainability.

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 5  

ArtsHab 1  

In 1999 Arts Habitat opened Edmonton's first artist live/work space, ArtsHab 1, in

downtown Edmonton and from that, an artistic community was born. Over these ten

years ArtsHab 1 has been the home and studio to some of Edmonton's most active

contemporary visual artists, craft artists, musicians, filmmakers, dancers, writers, actors

and others. The residents have nurtured a lively community which supports and assists

each other as well as the broader Edmonton artistic community and the community of

neighbours in the downtown core.

Within ArtsHab 1 a tenant association called

Artscoop programs our gallery space with

art exhibitions and events. The gallery was

once again a featured site for the Works

Visual Arts Festival, Still Cooking was an

exhibition of new work by the resident

artists.

ArtsHab 1 was also

honoured this year to

welcome to our community

Edmonton’s Writer In

Exi le, Sheng Xue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 6  

In 2009, the City of Edmonton purchased the Former Alberta Cycle Building on Alberta

Avenue (118 Avenue) in Edmonton with the express intention that Arts Habitat, in

partnership with Arts on the Ave, would lease the property and lead the building

redevelopment into a multi-tenant arts and arts-friendly facility. The Alberta Cycle

Building holds a significant presence and history on the Avenue. The revitalization of

this urban landmark and investment into this project will contribute substantially

toward the revitalization of Alberta Avenue, and provide much needed space for the

arts in Edmonton.

Eighty people attended a ‘community visioning’

workshop in November, engaging in the broad

question “What Will the Alberta Cycle Building

Become?” The vision and direction from this

session will impact the conceptual

development, programming, and design of the

new facility.

 

Redevelopment

of the Alberta

Cycle Building

 

The project will take place in two phases: Phase

One will bring the building up to basic health

and building safety codes for interim use

beginning January 2011. This will mean the

building will be active on the street in the

immediate future, while plans for a truly

revitalized building are underway. Phase Two is

the larger vision for the building and will involve

a thorough building redevelopment. The

projected completion date is early 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 7  

In November Arts Habitat received a proposal

from Edmonton Inner City Housing Society to

purchase the sixteen condominium units over the

Nina Haggerty Arts Centre (93 Street, 118

Avenue).

For this project we are partnering with the Communitas Group Ltd. who have worked in

the area of affordable housing for over thirty years and Artists Urban Village, a grass

roots non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality, affordable housing with

support and creative opportunities for seniors, disabled, and low-income workers in

Edmonton’s professional arts.

This cooperative will contribute

new energy to the Avenue

Revitalization Initiative and will

address the demonstrated need

for affordable housing in the arts

community. Artists in Alberta

earn, on average, 52% less than

the average earnings in the

overall provincial labour force -

$20,022 as compared to

$42,439 (taken from the report

published in 2009 by Hill

Strategies Research Inc. titled

Artists in Canada’s Provinces and

Territories.)

 

Affordable Artists Housing Cooperative

 

These beautiful one bedroom with den units will be turned into an affordable housing cooperative for artists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 8  

Artscape Toronto mentoring program

We are thrilled to have been chosen as the pilot project for Artscape Toronto’s

Mentorship and Coaching Program. Through this program we benefit from direct

access to the experience that Artscape has gained over more than 20 years in

developing a portfolio of unique facilities that deliver sustainable and affordable

production, rehearsal, exhibition, and living space for creative practitioners,

entrepreneurs and organizations. We work closely with Artscape’s senior specialist staff

led by Tim Jones, Artscape’s President and CEO across a range of areas including:

Organizational development and project planning • Strategic planning • Community

engagement and project governance • Operational development and management •

Design and environmental sustainability • Capital project management • Fundraising •

Business planning • Property management • Leasing

Clearing House Database

We are working in collaboration with the City of Edmonton Community Services, the

Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, and the Multicultural Coalition for

Equity in Health and Well-being to create the Edmonton Space Finder: a web-based

clearing house to assist non-profits to find suitable and affordable workspace for

offices, rehearsals, studios etc.

Bylaws and Zoning

Arts Habitat in partnership with the City of Edmonton Planning and Development

Department are reviewing the city’s bylaws and zoning regulations to identify those

that might inhibit the effective but responsible development of space for arts

programming, buildings and living space. Information is being gathered through focus

groups, a survey to the arts community and researching best practices in comparable

cities including case studies and precedents.

 

 

 

 

 

Arts Habitat Association │ 2009 Annual Report │ 9  

Future Plans

We look forward to an increased presence and active role in the many new projects

that are in the planning stages as part of community revitalization throughout the city of

Edmonton.

The arts community has for many years demonstrated a pressing need for space and

we will use our resources to achieve sustainable and exciting solutions that will lead to

a healthier and more vital arts community for the City of Edmonton.

Linda Huffman

General Manager