SAN FRANCISCO—Technology companies are often blamed for driving up the rent in San Francisco, and artists have been going elsewhere in search of affordable studios.
In order to keep artists in the area, four young entrepreneurs set up a special space in downtown San Francisco that hosts both techies and artists in the same place, with the startups supporting the artists.
Code and Canvas, as the space is called, was formerly a live art gallery, made up of a space separated into a number of cells for art studios and galleries.
Now it accommodates 13 artist tenants and two technology companies. Tech companies and artists pay either $1,200–$2,400 for a registered space or a $200 monthly membership fee to use the common area.
John Yi, marketing development manager of Pinterest, came up with the idea. He said he got the idea when one his friends asked him if he would be willing to rent out some of the space in the gallery so the artists could stay. But even if he did rent out the space, it would not be enough.
So rather than let his friend leave, he gathered three friends and began something new. In addition to renting the space, they came up with $100,000 to renovate it. Now there’s a bar, a common area, and even a music station. The walls of some designated areas can be removed to form a gallery when needed.
Ron Cordova, an artist who has been working in the space for over two years creating fine lighting, said it was a relief when Yi came in because people had begun to leave, and the future of the building was uncertain. It took “a modest rent increase to be able to stay here,” he said, but even though it’s a compromise, the important thing is that the artists are being allowed to stay.
Megan Adams works at one of the tech companies in the suite. When we entered, she was lying on a couch in the space, coding. She shares her office with a painter.
“It’s really fun and interesting. I love the community, and I like being around all these artists,” she said.
The new arrangement also attracts interest from the art field. Vivian Sin became a tenant in February. She said she could have chosen another space but ended up at Code and Canvas because it hosted a variety of artists. And with the tech influence, she believes it will open up more possibilities for her growth as an artist.
John Yi seems confident that the place will sustain itself. In addition to the 13 artists and two tech companies already in the space, there is a long list of companies who are eager to work with Code and Canvas.
“It’s very encouraging,” he says.
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