Meeting in Asheville on affordable housing solutions for artists, craftspeople and makers

Here are the details from the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design announcement:

On March 22 from 7-8:30 pm, The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design (CCCD) and Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce will host a public meeting on affordable housing solutions for artists, craftspeople and makers. The meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to engage with and learn from Artspace, a national non-profit organization based in Minneapolis, MN that specializes in creating, owning and operating affordable housing and studio/business space for artists and creative sector businesses.

The public meeting is the capstone to a three-day visit that will introduce the community to the Artspace leadership team. The visit kicks-off a year-long feasibility assessment and market study to determine the viability of an appropriately sized mixed-use affordable housing development for artists and creative sector businesses. The process is being guided by a leadership group that includes Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and community leaders from The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, MHAworks, City of Asheville, Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, UNC Asheville, and HomeTrust Bank.

Artspace is positioned to bring together the region's creative sector, including arts organizations, artists and makers, through a community engagement process that results in actionable data for the purpose of developing affordable housing, studio space, and resources. The project represents a high impact investment that will strengthen the arts and cultural sector of the region while also promoting other types of economic development, such as talent attraction and retention.

"Artspace is at the forefront of the movement to develop affordable housing for artists and owns numerous projects around the state and country. We are thrilled to bring their expertise to the area," says Stephanie Moore, Executive Director of CCCD. "Creatives benefit when they're co-located together in spaces that are affordable and accessible. We need to support smart opportunities like this to ensure that Asheville's creative sector continues to thrive."

Artspace begins each project with a comprehensive feasibility assessment including a market study to quantify a community's creative sector, in-depth stakeholder engagement, and an analysis of potential development sites. The result is actionable data that can translate to appropriately-sized affordable mixed-use housing developments for artists and the creative sector. "If we can have more usable data about the arts and culture community, the possibility of more housing that will keep artists in Asheville, and identification of viable sites for this kind of development, that would be a win on all fronts," said Kit Cramer, President/CEO of the Asheville Chamber.

EVENT DETAILS
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 22, 2017, 7 - 8:30 pm
Location: The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, 67 Broadway Street, Asheville, NC 28801
Parking: Complimentary parking is available at HomeTrust Bank, located at 10 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 28801 .

To learn more and RSVP for the event, visit www.facebook.com/centerforcraft/events.