11 Jan Almost 100 local artists being evicted due to tunnel construction

The eviction of artists at 619 Western has been all over the news the past week or so.

Just last week, representatives from WSDOT reportedly stopped by the building during the artwalk to check out the artist studios that are planned to be torn down by next year.

619 has a reputation in the neighborhood as one of top places to visit during the artwalk. With no functioning elevator, you have to walk up level after level of stairs to get into the maze of studios that fill the building. Artists groups have even hosted live theater events, with movable stages and sets.

A month ago, however, they were notified that the building wasn’t structurally sound enough to withstand construction from the tunnel. According to an article in the Seattle Times, some of the artists are trying to figure out how to stay in the neighborhood.

I remember someone telling me about a time when the artists community in Pioneer Square was grassroots — and a story of a big building in Pioneer Square that was inhabited (ilegally) by a bunch of artists. The rumor was that they were eventually kicked out and the building stayed empty. Although I couldn’t find anything online about that, I stumbled across an old PI article from 1990 with the statement that “Artists get used to getting kicked out of places. They think ‘Well, it’s time to move out now.”‘

And although these artists aren’t being kicked out because of higher prices (and to be fair, I’m sometimes a little frightened to be in 619 with the big cracks in the walls); there has to be a better conclusion for both WSDOT and the artists. And simply giving them some money for relocation (possibly as low as $50,000 for all 100 artists) doesn’t sound like the best solution.

Meetings are planned this week and next for both the local neighborhood association, as well as the artists in 619 Western.

To see more opinions from the artists, check out their Facebook page, and stay tuned for a guest post on Friday from one of the artists.