MARK VALLEN'S "ART FOR A CHANGE"

MARK VALLEN'S "ART FOR A CHANGE"
A WORKING ARTIST'S WEBLOG FOR ART THEORY AND COMMENTARY.

http://www.art-for-a-change.com/blog/archive/2007_10_01_archive.html

I’m mindful of the fact that active state intervention in the arts cannot be looked upon as a universal remedy. Autonomous circles of artists and their supporters can accomplish great things if left to their own devices. But in the case of the NoHo Arts District, where a commercial development project is being imposed upon a community, city government must put aside buildings and resources so that artists may continue to explore and expand independently of mainstream corporate culture.

I feel great unease over the likelihood that the region’s relatively low rents and affordable housing costs will skyrocket due to commercial development - pushing out the majority working class and Latino populations who live and find employment in the community. For instance, a 930 sqft live-in/work studio space at the just completed, The Lofts at NoHo Commons, runs anywhere from $2,559 to $4,000, with the stipulation that residents be able to prove that their "monthly gross income must be equal 3 times the amount of the monthly rent." It is well and good that apartments and condos aplenty are being made available to people of upper income brackets, but where are the low-rent studios, workplaces and galleries being built for actual artists in this arts district?

I’m alarmed that there has been a total lack of transparency and democratic procedure in the entire process of developing NoHo - I can’t recollect a single community meeting being called by city government or private developers to access community needs and desires. A good example of the "behind your back - while you weren’t looking" nature of this development project, can be found in a Los Angeles Daily News article by staff writer Rick Orlov. His piece revealed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board faced a conflict of interest over its vote to approve the $1.3 billion development project. It seems that 11 of the 13 MTA board members "had received campaign contributions connected to projects considered for the site." For instance, MTA board member David Fleming runs the law firm - Latham and Watkins - which represents Lowe Enterprises.