advocate for affordable art space
The Near NorthWest Arts Council, a non-profit organization directed by artists to offer resources, affordable space and equipment, to build a vital, healthy, sustainable community. Our values embrace democratic control and social equity. We are at a critical juncture and need your support.
nnwac offers fiscal agent services
Artists frequently work in small groups, are mostly funded out of pocket and operate way below the radar. Dance, music, theater, media and visual artists do not often find opportunities to collaborate across disciplines. Factory space is well suited for experimental work, but is not legal for hosting audiences due to zoning and life safety issues. Established venues are often too big for the intimacy required by cabaret, poetry, dance, jazz and experimental music. Acme Art Works will be our new project space, and NNWAC invites artists to curate projects, to workshop ideas with intense collaboration. We purposefully create opportunities across disciplines to learn more effective strategies from each other. NNWAC is open to ideas, and we seek partners to inhabit, collaborate and build the new incubator space.
arts incubator
The Near NorthWest Arts Council, a community based tax exempt 501c3 organization,
face the street
In the past twenty years NNWAC has organized arts festivals, outdoor film programs, public art installations, arts education workshops, and hosted exhibits that launched many careers.
NNWAC is artist directed and as such, fostered programs that linked mature, experienced artists, with emerging artists and students. NNWAC’s goal is to engage the public in a year round cultural programs that encourages public participation. Face the Street will activate empty storefronts, vacant lots and underutilized space with public art, performance and film events. Residents and business will be invited to select art work for public display and participate in workshop events. |
artist housing
NNWAC has actively worked to change public policy in issues critical to artists with a focus on economic development, affordable housing, zoning and ownership. It took twelve years to achieve the work/live condo development, Acme Artists Community, to the transfer the $3.5 million investment into the private control of the artists as property owners. is illustrated in before and after pictures, press reports, the culminating launch with Mayor Daley.
NNWAC worked directly with artists to design, develop and build a 25 unit work/live condo community in a 46,000 square foot industrial building. NNWAC conducted a feasibility study for the project connecting with artist housing developers in six major US cites. NNWAC board and its advisors contributed professional experience in design, planning, and marketing. NNWAC hired the project development team with proven professional expertise in design, finance, legal and adult training. NNWAC knowledge base includes an infrastructure of planning documents related to space that include partnership agreements, cooperative management plan, property lease agreements, and financial planning workshops. The limited equity provisions demonstrate a key innovation; a legal component that protects the future viability of an artist owned work/live community. NNWAC is forward thinking, as one of only three artist housing developments nation wide that developed artist owned space. The project succeeded in three major goals: to avoid the displacement in the face of dynamic gentrification, to limit the effect of increasing property taxes, and to insure sustainable artist community with durable, green construction. |