Painting detail of Preservation by Kelly Tunstall and Ferris Plock. Photo: Shaun Roberts
NCLT is thrilled to announce the kickoff of the Artist Space Trust (AST), a groundbreaking incubation program launched in partnership with Vital Arts. AST is an innovative national model for equitably securing permanently affordable artist housing and creative space in an effort to stem the displacement of artists economically vulnerable to rising real estate costs. Utilizing methods developed by the community land trust movement, AST will facilitate an intergenerational transfer of property to prevent losses for future generations locked out by market forces. AST has seed funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation and San Francisco Foundation.
NCLT welcomes Meg Shiffler, the Artist Space Trust’s inaugural Director, who brings a unique cross-sector background, developed from decades of arts leadership with government, nonprofit and private organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and New York. Her experiences include envisioning and building arts organizations and programs, developing impactful initiatives and partnerships with diverse stakeholders and communities, and managing complex budgets and contracts for space, labor, services, and materials.
