More than 20 professional artists of various disciplines have come to live in Richmond to help build up the rising arts and entertainment district in the north of the city.
This is all part of an “Arts Village” project the City of Richmond has been planning over the past seven years, which provides affordable living and studio space for qualified artists in new developments near Bridgeport.
“We really think that the arts are important for community vibrancy, social connection and for understanding the world,” said Jane Fernyhough, director of arts, culture and heritage for the city.
“We know that Richmond is not an inexpensive community to live in and artists have some of the lowest incomes. We want to be able to create an environment where artists can live and contribute to the city.”
Twenty brand new loft-style apartments, including 18 850-sq.-ft. one-bedroom units and two 1,100-sq.-ft. two-bedroom units, were occupied late last year on the first floor of Concord Gardens Developmentat at Sexsmith and Patterson roads.
Each home has an open studio space, a gallery window where artists can display their work, and colourful signs written in philosophical sentences on the outside.
Fernyhough said rents are under $1,000 and residents needed to submit their portfolio to prove they are professional artists, and to provide their financial records to qualify for affordable housing.
Shelby Wyminga, an actress who moved in last November with her husband, a musician, said this housing project is “too good to be true."
“I feel like a princess every morning when I wake up because there is so much space. I love it,” said Wyminga.
Before moving here, the couple mostly lived in a basement suite, or got “bounced around” places that were quite far away from the city “because it’s so expensive,” said Wyminga.
Now Wyminga uses the open space for her rehearsals and her husband has converted their second bedroom into a music studio.
“I find as an artist, I need to have an environment around me that helps me to be calm and focused, but it’s very very hard in the city to find space like that. Most of the time, it’s just cluttered and chaotic,” said Wyminga.
“I don’t know if the City of Richmond knows how much of a gift it’s giving to artists when they put this together.”
The project is also appreciated by Jill Raymond, a theatre producer and actress who just staged her production Hysteria at the Vancouver Fringe Festival.
“I never thought I would be able to live in a place like this, never, in my wildest dreams, doing what I’m doing,” said Raymond.
Raymond said there is a perception that artists are either not working hard, and that’s why they are not making much money, or that their lives are all glamour and fabulous, but “neither of them are true."
“Some hardest-working people are artists but the cash flow can be very difficult to manage,” said Raymond.
“Having an affordable place to live in Metro Vancouver is really incredible, so that artists are able to actually practice their art rather than working in a job they hate, and doing what is essentially their profession on the side.”
Both Wyminga and Raymond have been discovering and soaking up the community in Richmond since they moved in, and believe this will be reflected in their future work.
“Wherever you end up living or wherever you find yourself in life that’s going to come through in your art in different ways. That’s inevitable,” said Raymond.
“Richmond is definitely a really fascinating place culturally. I’m sure that stuff is gonna start to seep into my work.”
Current residents include a model, performing artists, photographers, painters and tattoo artists.
Fernyhough said 17 more live-work studios and six work-only studios will be available for artists to rent at a low cost in other new developments in the area.
“We are already starting to see the benefits of having artists here. They have been participating in the community, in events and in creating events of their own,” said Fernyhough.
She said the artists will help fulfill the city’s broader vision to build an Arts and Entertainment District, which goes from Cambie North all the way through to Bridgeport.
“There will be a new community centre, a non-for profit art space, a new park, coffee shops, restaurants, and hopefully some music venue,” said Fernyhough.
“The vision is that it will be a very lively, vibrant, pedestrian friendly area with a lot of activities on the street.”
Richmond Arts Village is open to public on Sunday, Sept. 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the Culture Day celebration.
Artists interested in the program can sign up for Richmond Artists Directory to receive more information.
