In April, Riverside Industries, the owners/landlord of Cottage Street Studios, notified artist studio tenants that rents would rise 25-125% to help bridge the gap in their not-for-profit, tax-exempt operating budget. This steep increase is too much for artist tenants to bear at once. They have repeatedly and respectfully asked Riverside’s Board of Directors and Building Committee to meet in person to discuss the situation and come up with a solution that can work for everyone, but there has been no reply.
In response, tenants have organized their artist community into a tenants’ association so that they can join together with one unified voice. They ask stakeholders and the community for support to keep their artist workspaces affordable, so they may stay at Cottage Street Studios, and continue being part of the Easthampton Community and Cottage Street Cultural District.
This effects me very personally as I am a single mother and independent working artist trying to keep my small business afloat to support my 3-year-old daughter. To be clear, the artists agree that rents should be increased (as they have been every year), but reasonably, and over time. They also feel they’ve been in a relationship with Riverside Industries for years, not only as long-time tenants, but have also provided workshops for Riverside clients, contributed artwork to Riverside’s fundraisers, and other collaborative efforts.
Riverside Industries is responsible for the entire building and any tenant rent defrays their costs; over the years, rental income has helped Riverside stay in business. There are more than 80 artist tenants at Cottage Street Studios, some who have worked on site for over 35 years. Artistic disciplines include sculpture, painting, photography, book-binding, woodworking, illustration, print-making, and many are also creative small businesses.
Dani Schmidt
Easthampton