Featured Stories

Artists and Their Families Thrive Amid Community and Creativity in Artspace Housing

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, December 20, 2016

For families living in Artspace affordable artist live/work housing, to reside in a safe, secure building where they can create and are considered normal is not only nice, it’s necessary. It's also "a little place of heaven."

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, diversity, Entrepreneurship

Downtown/Lowertown, Northeast

A Good Thing for St. Paul: A Pilot ADU Project Along the Green Line Invites Creative Possibilities

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The St. Paul City Council has voted to allow ADUs from Emerald to Lexington avenues along University, a pilot project that will bring creative possibilities for density, affordable housing and multi-generational living to the Central Corridor.

Affordable Housing, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Transit Oriented Development, Transportation

Union Park, University, Midway, Saint Anthony Park

Practitioners and Partners: Artspace Evolves Breaking Ground Into "Idea Lab" That Celebrates Artists

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Artspace’s annual Breaking Ground event evolves this year from one dynamic evening of speakers and performances to an immersive, two-day “idea lab” on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, Downtown, Downtown/Lowertown, Warehouse/North Loop, Northeast

So Artists Can Celebrate Themselves: Artspace's Remarkable Work with Cultural Communities

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Artspace enjoys a long history of working with culturally distinct groups in the development of affordable artist live/work housing and community spaces. From El Barrio in NY to Honolulu, HI, these projects allow artists to celebrate themselves.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Regionalism, Reuse / Rebuild, Strong Local Economy, Sustainability, Talent Dividend

Spring Green: The Rose Sets A New National Sustainability Standard for Affordable Housing

Joel Hoekstra Tuesday, May 17, 2016

A recently completed affordable-housing complex in the South Quarter of Minneapolis is arguably the most healthy and sustainable in the U.S.

Affordable Housing, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Emerging Technologies, Energy, Sustainability

Lake Street

Cohorts, Capacity Building, Creative Communities: The Evolution of Artspace's Geographic Approach

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, March 22, 2016

The arts real-estate nonprofit Artspace is re-scaling its work to take a more geographic approach that includes consulting with a cohort of art organizations in Detroit and developing creative districts in rural Colorado.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Nightlife, Philanthropy, Regionalism, Shopping, Transit Oriented Development

Museums and Libraries as Co-Creators of Change

Gayle C. Thorsen Tuesday, March 15, 2016

New research reveals the catalytic role that libraries and museums are playing in rebuilding troubled neighborhoods. These important "anchor institutions" are helping drive economic, educational and social efforts in their neighborhoods.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy

Greater East Side, Midway, Lake Street, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Payne - Phalen

Transit-Oriented Development in St. Paul: Connections That Create Value

Brian Martucci Tuesday, March 08, 2016

More transit means more value: How community-driven (Frogtown) and historically aware (Lowertown) TOD works using community-led initiatives paired with city-developed plans that include affordable housing.

Affordable Housing, Central Corridor, Coordination/Collaboration, diversity, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development

Midway, Saint Anthony Park, North Side, Downtown/Lowertown, Thomas - Dale/Frogtown, Warehouse/North Loop

Is Affordable Artist Live/Work Housing the New Normal?

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Since Artspace pioneered affordable artist live/work housing in the 1990s, disrupting the SoHo Effect in communities across the U.S., demand for such projects has grown. Which begs the question: Is affordable artist live/work housing becoming the new normal?

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Reuse / Rebuild, Shopping, Strong Local Economy, Transit Oriented Development

Riverfront/Mill District, West Seventh, Downtown/Lowertown, Northeast

Artists Can Be The "Connective Tissue" of a Neighborhood, But First Need Affordable Housing

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, October 06, 2015

The creation of affordable artist live/work housing is a proven initiative that reinvigorates neighborhoods, while artists and their work bring members of diverse communities together.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, diversity, Strong Local Economy

Downtown/Lowertown

Funding, Policy, Persuasion, Need: How Artspace Gets Affordable Artist Live/Work Housing Done

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Artspace’s residential projects fill a critical niche in a city’s ecosystem of affordable housing, particularly for artists. But making the case for public policies and resources to realize these transformative projects is challenging.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Creative Leadership, Design, diversity, Entrepreneurship, Philanthropy, Regionalism, Strong Local Economy

Downtown/Lowertown, Northeast

MSP's Big Picture Housing Needs: The McKnight Foundation Weighs In

Interview by Christopher Hudson Tuesday, April 21, 2015

McKnight Foundation president Kate Wolford and program officer Eric Muschler at Clare Midtown talk about the foundation's affordable housing initiatives and how well-designed affordable housing is a community asset with long-term benefits.

Affordable Housing, Arts and Culture, Coordination/Collaboration, Creative Economy, Design, diversity, Philanthropy, Strong Local Economy

Riverfront/Mill District, Lake Street

The City as Your Living Room: Will Micro-Apts Go Macro in MSP?

Camille LeFevre Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Interest in micro-apartments is growing in MSP because of their affordability and design, the community spaces within the building and the city itself as the living room.

Affordable Housing, Creative Economy, Design, Entrepreneurship, Transit Oriented Development

University, Cedar - Riverside/West Bank, Downtown, Uptown/Lyn Lake, Warehouse/North Loop