We know we’re always kvetching about the dearth of affordable rent in the city—creative workspaces and residential dwellings alike. But we don’t actually want to leave! We just want to see some positive change, or help make them. And now you can, too: this Saturday (June 27), Art F City is hosting a “Stay in New York” affordable workspace conference at the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows, Corona Park. It’s an all-day affair chock full of talks, tools and snacks, in the service of giving New York creatives the tools and resources to “find and keep their rents low,” so says the event.
The day begins at 11:30am, with an open house tour of Art F City’s modular studios. If you like what you see, you can apply to ArtF’s Studio in the Park residency and get your own subsidized workspace in one of ‘em! (This year’s residency deadline has passed, but stay tuned for next year’s call.)
Discussion topics at the conference include gentrification & displacement, ownership, securing affordable spaces and lobbying to retain said spaces when the tax man comes a-calling. There will also be a keynote speech by urban planner Tom Angotti about community, activism and the future.
Added perks: My Brooklyn will be running on continuous loop in the museum theater, if you’d rather play hooky from the lectures and watch a movie to take it all in. Sounds like there’ll be free coffee at the event, too! The additional “free lunch” option says it’s sold out online, but you should certainly still RSVP, because that’s free anyway. And hey, who knows, maybe they’ll have leftovers? See you at the Queens Museum.