In an effort to preserve the arts character of Culver City, solutions are needed to keep artists from getting priced out of the city which they have largely shaped. A group of passionate community members in Culver City is looking to persuade the City Council to support our efforts to bring PLACE, a national nonprofit, to Culver City in order to explore the development of permanently affordable living and working spaces for Culver City creatives.
What's at stake?
Culver City has become a major hub of creative enterprise with the prominence of its Gallery Row on La Cienega Boulevard, the home offices of Premier Architectural Firms and the headquarters of Major Entertainment Studios. Increasingly, the talent needed to sustain these ventures is unable to afford to live in Culver City. Not only do businesses and the reputation of the area suffer, but community and educational institutions are left without artists' contributions. There is a growing interest in bringing PLACE, a national nonprofit, to Culver City in order to explore the development of permanently affordable living and working spaces for Culver city creatives.
As an organization, PLACE (Projects Linking Art, Community & Environment) has a long, deep history of creating forward-thinking, sustainable communities that provide permanently affordable living and working space for artists and creatives of all incomes, ages, and disciplines. A great example is the WAV (Working Artists Ventura) community in Ventura, California.
With your support, we can:
- Achieve 1,000 signatures on the petition to help raise funds for PLACE (a nonprofit developer based in Minneapolis) to be invited to perform a preliminary feasibility study, which will act as an official document to be distributed to city officials, local businesses and developers;
- Encourage local leadership to further recognize the importance of artists and our impact in Culver City;
- Influence the development of high-value real estate in the area toward public benefit purposes instead of continuing acquisition by large companies;
- Eventually, partner with PLACE to plan, design, fund and build a beautiful, sustainable community that creates permanently affordable housing, studio space, gallery space, and commercial space for Culver City artists and creatives at all income levels.
Why now?
We are at a tipping point in Culver City. Artists and creatives have helped attract investment to the area. Large, wealthy companies are moving in, and prices are going up as a result, which puts emerging and established creatives at risk of being priced out. Along with PLACE, we can use this unique moment in time to unite the Culver City arts community to push for more thoughtful development that seeks to help preserve the unique grit and creative pulse of the community that we love so much.
Sandy Bleifer is a lifelong Venice resident, community organizer, artist and realtor. She has created a coalition of artists, arts organizations, and other community members to enlist PLACE to bring their expertise to bear in Culver City, and to create a robust community process that will lead to a partnership with local government entities in recognizing artists as a class of people in need of affordable housing, commercial space, and other creative spaces. PLACE is a national expert in creating affordable, mixed-use communities that prioritize the needs of creatives.
Together, we as a community can unite our quiet individual voices become a full-throated roar. By signing this petition, you will be telling the City Council, Mayor and others that you support the development of affordable space for Culver City artists! Please sign, and please share. Thank you!
Helpful links
The PLACE website | The PLACE Facebook page
For questions, or to join the grassroots movement behind this project, please contact Sandy Bleifer: [email protected]