Thank you Artscape, Toronto
The story of a non-profit urban development organization, who brought Creative Spaces in old and abandoned buildings
I have always deeply respected individuals who work to create meaningful change from within the system. A prime example is Artscape Toronto, a Canadian organization that, unfortunately, went into receivership in 2023. Artscape - a non-profit urban development organization providing and managing spaces in old, abandoned buildings for creatives in Toronto - remains a symbol of heroism and inspiration for those engaged in city planning, administration, and investment.
Reflecting on their receivership prompted me to revisit an interview I conducted over a decade ago with Tim Jones, who served as Artscape's CEO from 1998 to 2021. In that conversation, Tim shared invaluable insights into the vision and strategies that brought Artscape to life and sustained its operations. I hope these reflections can inspire others who possess the courage and determination to reform flawed systems from within.
Today, Tim Jones continues his impactful work as the CEO of Base 31, a cultural institution located at a former airbase east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The organization Artscape in Toronto worked to create long-term facilities for the city's creative entrepreneurs, artists, and non-profit organizations, all of which share a common need for generous spaces and affordable rent. However, Artscape was also established to generate value for private developers and enhance the quality of life for the city's other residents. According to Tim Jones, now former CEO of Artscape, it was about leveraging the overlapping potentials between the public and private sectors to create facilities for artists in the long term. A win-win-win scenario.
Jacob Blak interviewed Tim Jones about Artscape’s journey and vision in 2012.
JB: How was Artscape formed?
TJ: It started in 1986 as a response to a crisis in the arts community. The real estate market was booming, and the city began shutting down warehouses that had been illegally occupied by artists. There was significant concern that rising rents would force artists out of the city center. I joined about ten years later, by which time Artscape had already developed some incredible projects. In the early days, the focus was on providing affordable space for the arts community. Since then, Artscape has grown considerably. I would describe our organization as a service organization that supports the arts community. We act as an intermediary, connecting the interests of artists with the mutual interests of others. These others might include politicians or public administrators dealing with issues like poverty, urban renewal, or job protection, or they could be private developers. Our goal is to identify projects that simultaneously serve the interests of the arts community and the broader city. This approach has allowed us to attract a wide range of interesting investments beyond the usual types of sponsors.
JB: Had you identified a societal need for someone to take on that role?
TJ: Yes. It’s said that art production is ten times more space-intensive than most other manufacturing processes or typical office use. Artists' incomes tend to be quite low compared to others in society, which creates significant pressure. The fact that artists are low on the income scale often means there are more renters than owners among them. The people who bring so much character, vitality, and interest to inner-city life are often pushed out due to their economic circumstances. What we try to do is leverage the value that artists create in a way that serves broader interests and creates a more sustainable situation for them.
JB: Who are your tenants?
TJ: We have nearly 1,000 people working—and in some cases living—in our ten projects across Toronto. It’s a mix of individual artists and designers, artisans, and many visual artists, as well as creatives from all disciplines. We also house nearly 70 non-profit organizations, theaters, galleries, exhibition spaces, and performance facilities. Additionally, we have an increasing number of non-art-related tenants. This diversity is important for fostering interest and creating new collaboration opportunities for artists—such as with environmental groups or other social entrepreneurs. We also manage an increasing number of event spaces, which are used for local events, performances, farmers’ markets, weddings, concerts—you name it.
JB: How do you select residents for your buildings?
TJ: When we start a new project, we assemble an advisory committee to create the vision for the project. It’s usually a lengthy process to understand the dreams and aspirations of the local community. We often hold idea competitions and invite artist organizations and other non-profits to respond to criteria developed for the local area. Each project is unique. What works in one place may not be a good idea elsewhere, so the process is guided by local interests to select tenants who meet the jointly developed criteria.
JB: What impact do your projects have on local areas?
TJ: We consciously design our projects to have a quadruple bottom-line effect. At their core, the projects aim to meet the needs of the arts community. Beyond that, we focus on improving the local economy, promoting social cohesion and enriching the social fabric, and fostering a greener, more socially sustainable environment. That’s the kind of approach we take—we don’t just consider the needs and interests of a single group but look more broadly at how these projects can support the neighborhood and the community. It’s the sum of these elements that makes the projects valuable to the local area.
JB: What type of organization is Artscape?
TJ: Artscape is a non-profit urban development organization. Under the Artscape umbrella, we have several entities:
An operations company that manages our development projects, educational programs, consulting services, staff, etc.
A charitable foundation that raises funds for the charitable work we do.
A housing corporation responsible for leasing and managing affordable housing and artist live/work units.
We also have an increasing number of sub-organizations, such as a joint venture partnership in one of our recent projects, which involves a collaboration between a city and a private developer. It’s a fairly complex structure, with 40 experienced volunteers serving on various boards and 40 full-time staff working for us currently.
JB: Who sits on your boards—is it a mix of public and private sector representatives?
TJ: We have an interesting mix of individuals who bring a wide range of expertise—urban development, planning and design, finance, law, social relations, and marketing. Artscape’s main board has 20 members, including leaders from the arts and culture community and tenants from our various projects.
JB: Are there people from the public sector as well?
TJ: Yes, we have two city council members on our board. They serve as an important link to what’s happening at city hall. This allows us to get their advice and work with them as advocates for various projects across the city.
JB: How is Artscape positioned between the public and private sectors?
TJ: We are an independent non-profit private organization. However, we maintain a close relationship with the city. Our independence is crucial to our success. We are a highly flexible and agile organization, able to make deals and engage in partnerships. This has become increasingly challenging for municipalities due to liability issues. Our independence is also important to our tenants and the arts community—they don’t see us as part of the government. There’s an expectation of what a municipality should do, but we are clearly positioned as an organization outside of municipal structures. While we collaborate with the city, we also work with the private sector. People understand that our projects need to pay for themselves, and there’s no expectation of ongoing public subsidies. Across all our projects, we raise enough capital upfront to build or renovate facilities and ensure they are sustainable for tenants in the long term. From then on, the facilities need to generate sufficient income to cover operational costs and overheads.
JB: Does your independence make it easier to create long-term projects?
TJ: Absolutely. There’s another benefit too—our decisions aren’t tied to political strategies or changing winds. This is important because our projects need to respond to opportunities as they arise. It’s very difficult to create and maintain these initiatives at a sustainable level if external agendas pull you away from your mission.
JB: What is your link to the public sector?
TJ: We maintain strong relationships with both staff and politicians at city hall. We have a “Government Relations Committee” that works with many different departments at city hall. One of our biggest challenges is encouraging these departments to think and act cohesively.
JB: How is Artscape funded?
TJ: Through various channels. On the operational side, our combined budgets total $6 million annually. Most of this comes from rent, but we also have other revenue-generating activities. For instance, we run an events organization and several educational programs, such as a knowledge-exchange program with conferences and a coaching program. We also receive a grant from the city—a subsidy that covers about 5% of our total budget. Currently, we have projects worth approximately $55 million under development. Some funding comes from the public sector, but most is from the private sector and private financing. It’s the combination of public and private support that makes our projects possible.
JB: Do you think the Artscape concept can be replicated and used elsewhere in the world?
TJ: Yes, we’ve actually helped make that happen in different cities. We’ve worked to build a practice around what we call “creative placemaking,” which involves using art and culture as drivers of change or transformation. As part of this effort, we’ve launched several programs, including a mentoring and coaching program that helps other cities undertake the kind of work we do. Over 12–18 months, we assist them in building their organization and first project, guiding them through the process of creating an independent, Artscape-like entity. We’ve worked with cities like Edmonton, Melbourne, and Vancouver, for example. This year, we also launched a program in collaboration with the University of British Columbia. We’re developing a continuing education program in cultural planning and urban development, and we’re designing and delivering the first courses.
Projects brought to you by Artscape, Toronto
NOTE: Please note that these projects were referenced in 2012
W Queens West:
We have now developed our fifth project in the area called W Queens West in Toronto, which has become the center for contemporary art in Canada. I wouldn’t claim that we are solely responsible for the development of this area, but we have undoubtedly played a catalytic role.
https://youngplace.ca/
The Distillery:
We were one of the first development partners to anchor tenants in an area called The Distillery in Toronto. It’s a 5-hectare site that was formerly a distillery. We helped put this place back on the city map after a decade of attempts to revive the area using more conventional methods. So, we engage in areas where we can have this generative effect and where we can add value—something meaningful to the broader context.
Regent Park Community Cultural Hub
We are currently involved in an area called Regent Park—Canada’s oldest and largest social housing community. The area is set to grow from 7,500 low-income residents spread over 27.5 hectares to a population of 17,000 with mixed-income and mixed-use development. The project involves demolishing all existing buildings, temporarily relocating the 7,500 residents in phases, and then moving them back into the neighborhood, also in phases. It’s a massive 15-year project.
Our role is to determine what culture means in this context—what role it can play in the revitalization process. How can culture help build a neighborhood that is undergoing dramatic changes in its composition, income mix, and diversity?
As part of this project, we are developing a Community Cultural Hub, a $35 million initiative. The area is highly disadvantaged, making it a challenging market to promote. We will play a central role in shaping the narrative—telling a positive story and building a billion-dollar condominium market in what was once a struggling social housing community.
https://danielsspectrum.ca/
