Minneapolis-based nonprofit bringing more affordable artists' housing to vacant Northeast buildings

Abstract painter Sarah Wieben spends more than eight hours every day in her studio, brush in hand.

But that's not where her workday ends. She works part time as an instructor at Minneapolis College of Art and Design and also has to buy art supplies, maintain her website and update her social media accounts. Anything she earns has to first go toward paying for her work and living space.

"Basically, an artist has two rents: your home and then your studio. That's a lot more than what most people have in bills," she said. "Then a lot of us still have student debt, and as an artist, it is hard to ever surmount it."

But Wieben has her eye on a new development next door to her studio in the Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis that could lower costs for her and other artists. Nonprofit Artspace is building affordable housing for qualifying tenants, giving priority to artists. Construction on these artists' lofts started in late October and in about 18 months there will be 84 units to fill buildings that have been vacant since the 1980s.

Were Wieben to snag one of those apartments, it would shorten her commute and her monthly bills.

"It's nearly impossible to find affordable living spaces for an artist to live in," she said. "To be able to maintain an art practice, you need some help, some relief from somewhere. I think Artspace provides that and that they've been a really good steward of the arts, and not just here but around the country."

Artspace formed as a nonprofit real estate organization in 1986 to create, foster and preserve affordable space for artists and art organizations, according to its website. Today, its portfolio includes 59 properties in operation, 10 in development and 48 open to new leases.

In Minnesota, the organization has 24 residential and commercial properties. While the bulk is in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Artspace also has buildings in Hastings, Brainerd, Fergus Falls and Duluth. Out-of-state properties are in locales like Colorado, Washington, Illinois, New York and Washington, D.C.

The nonprofit usually doesn't seek out projects, said Becky Carlson St. Clair, vice president of property development at Artspace. Usually, community leaders and artists reach out to the organization asking for help.

She pointed out how Hastings' project is at the end of its historic downtown street and really complements all the revitalization happening there.

The new space in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District will transform three historic buildings into affordable living and working spaces for artists. The transformation cost $62 million, with a mix of government grants, aid from other nonprofits and philanthropic donations funding it, Carlson St. Clair said. The overhaul of the empty buildings will further grow the area's thriving arts scene, adding 8,120 square feet of commercial space for creative work.

Artists who aren't planning on moving in touted the project, like Cari Johnson, who creates reimagined vintage jewelry. She said she was thrilled to hear about the lofts and thinks it could help emerging artists. Artspace owns her gallery space in the Northrup King Building — which has about 350 creative commercial tenants — and its management's code of conduct ensuring tenants feel welcome and respected by one another impressed her.

"I'm just happy that some people will be able to spend more time on their art with less stress," she said. "They will be in close proximity to encourage each other's growth, and I'm happy they're going to have that opportunity."

The new development counts as affordable housing that's open to other applicants, too, said Tio Aiken, vice president of communications at Artspace. Only applicants earning 30% to 80% of the area median income — which is $78,064, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — are eligible. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's calculations determine how much a person pays in rent, and it varies based on an individual's income and the apartment size. According to the Metropolitan Council, a studio apartment for a person making 30% of the area's median income would have a maximum rent of $652. For a person making 80% of the area's median income, it would increase to $1,739.

If Artspace applicants check that they or someone in their household identifies as an artist, there is an interview panel which will screen them about their art. Artists are prioritized over other applicants, Aiken said.

"It not just visual, it could be singers, writers, dancers, tattoo artist or baker," Carlson St. Clair said. "It's up to someone else to present what their art is, and it's not in our interest to limit the artists. The [self identification] is more about seeing what people have to offer."