The Artist’s Contract (TAC) and Contemporary Art League (CAL) are collaborating on a joint initiative called STUDIO LOAN to meet the need Los Angeles artists have for affordable, short-term studio space. STUDIO LOAN will be a free resource that is open to all to use.

The STUDIO LOAN Bulletin Board will be a virtual space where “needs” and “offers” for temporary Los Angeles studio space can be publicly posted. A Licensing Agreement template for lending and borrowing a studio will be free for artists to use on TAC’s website. The intention is to connect artists who have a studio in Los Angeles to artists who are looking for space for an hour, a day, or a week and offer a written agreement for the transaction. 

To do this, we need your help! We have been developing this project with a team of generous and insightful volunteers, and now our goal is to raise $5,000 to build, launch, and maintain the STUDIO LOAN operational infrastructure.

Your support will fund:

Contribute to help us provide tools and resources that will aid artists with one of their most urgent needs!

With rental costs soaring in Los Angeles, 60% of artists do not have a studio outside their home or one at all. We’ve heard stories from members of the CAL community that temporary studio space is an under-recognized and under-fulfilled need: for studio visits—a crucial piece of networking and garnering opportunities for an art career; for artists who work in mediums that don’t typically require a studio; for artists whose resources or lifestyle don’t allow for a full studio lease or sublease. Additionally, those with a studio lease could benefit from another artist using their space while they are away from their studio and gain earning potential. 

We will create an online bulletin board where artists can post “needs” and “offers,” and The Artist’s Contract has created (with generous funding from the Sustainable Economies Law Center) a Licensing Agreement template that acts as a contract for the temporary use of a studio. The Agreement template will be free to use and will be a tool for determining expectations in advance and protecting the interests of both parties, giving peace of mind, and making the process accessible to artists. 

A team of 9 volunteers from Contemporary Art League and The Artist’s Contract have been working to get this project off the ground. Our team consists of artists, art workers, attorneys, and arts advocates.

Who will it impact? 
Free and open to all, this project will serve the community of artists throughout the Los Angeles region.

More about Contemporary Art League:

Contemporary Art League is a trade cooperative building unity, solidarity, and equity among art workers in Los Angeles County. In an effort to acknowledge cultural labor as labor, we offer professional support, community services, and advocacy opportunities to the community.

More about The Artist’s Contract:
Visual Artists need tools and support to protect their rights and financial security. Contracts are a solution. The Artist’s Contract website is a hub for free Legal Contracts for visual artists. It is part of a larger movement to establish better professional practices in the art world.