After decades of cheap rent, some Montreal artists have been priced out of their studios

MONTREAL – Over the past 32 years, artist Frances Foster has watched the scene from her studio window change from old rail yards and dilapidated factories to luxury businesses, new residents and high-end cars.

However, it seems to be empty. Foster was once one of more than a dozen artists working in the former industrial building. Today, he is one of only two remaining, after narrowly surviving an eviction attempt that forced the others to leave over the past three years.

The owners dropped their eviction case last year because they “achieved their goal of evicting most of the artists, some of whom have lived in the building for more than 20 years,” he said.

Named a UNESCO City of Design in 2006, Montreal has long been known as a haven for artists thanks to its vibrant cultural scene and rock-bottom rents. But as rents rise and former industrial districts are redeveloped, some artists are priced out or driven out as the community looks for creative solutions.

Foster said when he moved into the building, his surroundings were “and a scary neighborhood.” But around 2021, it improved, and the building's owner decided to rebuild it and move artists like Foster, who still pay less than $1,000 a month in rent.

It's an all-too-common scenario, says the head of a group that represents the province's imagers.

“What we already know is that the situation of artists is increasingly precarious,” said Camille Kazin, president of the Quebec regroupement des artistes en arts visuels. He said the group recently conducted a survey to gauge the extent to which rising rents and cost of living are affecting artists, and received 450 responses on the first day.

Many artists, like Foster, set themselves up in urban areas at the lowest cost per square foot. But over time, the presence of artists in formerly economically distressed neighborhoods like Montreal's St. Henri or Mile End has made the neighborhoods more desirable and driven up prices.

“Unfortunately, the problem with artists' workshops is that artists are attracted to low prices, and real estate investors are attracted to artists,” Kazin said.

Several artists told The Canadian Press they had to move studios multiple times or found nothing available at all.

Painter and graphic artist Andre Laplante said he was forced to move out of the studio he rented with other artists several years ago, some of whom could not pay their dues. He says artists' insecurities are exacerbated by what he calls the “double rent” phenomenon.

“We pay one rent to live in one place, and often we have to pay another rent to get nothing financially or very little artistic experience,” he said in a phone interview.

Painter and visual artist Aida Vosugi said she was forced to leave her former studio after the grant was not renewed. Vosugy, who now works in a smaller space associated with the Université de Québec à Montréal, said most grants are only once a year, which means “there's always concern for the next year.”

Foster said she briefly looked at other rental properties when she moved out and was “terrified” — not only by the prices, but also by the idea of ​​leaving the community in which she was deeply embedded.

“I'm 65, I'll be 66 in April. So I have a lot to say and do in this life, and I want to make sure I stay in this place that I love,” said founder Foster. A group that recently managed to turn an empty lot into a park.

The city of Montreal says it recognizes the problem and is working to help visual artists provide affordable space, including through a program that subsidizes their rent. Erica Alneus, a member of the city's executive committee responsible for arts and culture, said last year more than 400 artists took advantage of the program, which provides subsidies of $13 per square meter for creative spaces and $3 per square meter for storage.

The provincial Department of Culture and the city have also put together a $30 million program to pay for renovations to buildings that house artists' studios — often owned by artists' collectives or nonprofits that have banded together to buy them, Alneus said.

One of those projects is Ateliers 3333, created by renowned artist and writer Marc Seguin, along with other artists, after they were evicted from the building that housed their studios. In response, he purchased a former industrial building in the city's Saint-Michel district and renovated it with a $5 million grant from the Foundation. established a partnership with the development company.

According to Stéphane Ricci, vice-president of development at la Société de développement Angus, one of the project's partners, today it is a workspace for dozens of artists who pay reasonable rents. The building is managed as a non-profit organization.

“I think it's a very interesting model because it allows artists to have some stability,” he said.

However, there are also challenges, including the need for capital and know-how; must contend with rising interest rates, construction costs, and taxes; and cover costs while charging low rents that artists can afford.

Nevertheless, he considers it a success. “We have about 130, 140 artists, and they're never kicked out by an owner because they found someone willing to pay more,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 11, 2024.

Morgan Lowry, Canadian Press