Common Area Maintenance (CAM) is a shared art studio and gallery, founded and propelled by artists, whose purpose is to cultivate an inclusive, affordable, and supportive creative community through resource-sharing, collaboration, curatorial events, and spontaneous karaoke parties.
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We hold the idea that artists do not flourish in isolation, but within strong supportive networks. We believe a multi-disciplinary open format space provides more access to resources for individual artists — access to tools, collaborators, and curatorial opportunities, empowering artists to build the systems of support we want to see in the world.
As a volunteer-run art space, our funding comes from a mix of rent from member artists, community support, and grants. Member artists are a part of decision making and the day-to-day operations of the studio and gallery.
We operate deliberately as an overlap between our individual member artists, the local arts community, and the broader public by offering affordable open-format studio space for renting artists and opportunities for programming by the larger community.
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This was and continues to be an increasingly difficult thing to do, as Seattle has undergone rapid changes and skyrocketing rents, threatening the existence of many art spaces in the city. Originally we took up residence in the ruins of an appliance repair shop in Belltown. Next year, we will be opening a second space. We will continue to support artists in incubating their ideas and developing their practices among peers. Both artist members and the broader community are encouraged to play and collaborate, host shows and events, and to support one another.
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feel safe and supported, to be goofy and cared for.
We are a chimera, the creature of Greek myth composed of more than one animal. Part collective art studio, performance venue, wood shop, literary salon, classroom, gallery, reading hall, community – we have as many iterations as we need to keep art thriving in Seattle.
Values
This process began when member Meke Spence drew a big ol’ bathtub on construction paper, laid it on a table with a few markers and wrote “bathtub of values, add yours!” From this extensive list we whittled it down to five through a CAM-wide consensus vote, which were further defined in meetings & individual interviews. Quotes are from those interviews.
1. Community
Our community consists not only of our artist members but of the artists and supporters who enrich our space with their participation.
Maintaining an alternative arts space with our limited resources pushes us to care, act, and communicate with intention. We are not limited to what we have on hand or have done before; we constantly build the tools, spaces, and coalitions of people needed to support our community..
Our biggest resource is each other. Caring is an action. We work to maintain respect, kindness, and equity by listening, showing up, building together, challenging our ideas, and constantly working to ensure everyone feels valued.
“I feel like we can all really rely on each other and make magical things happen.” - Dani Hopple
3. By Artists for Artists
Process over product
CAM was founded by and is run by artists. We continually work towards creating a healthy environment for artists to flourish. This includes envisioning a future where we can continue to grow and support our arts community.
“I think that we're all dreaming in the same direction” - Christine Tran
5. Artists over Profit
We have a deep desire to resist the commodification of the world. We are working within a different model, one that is more consciously based in relationships and sharing resources as opposed to one that is extractive and transactional. This framework is intentionally community-focused, anti-racist, and anti-sexist.
2. Play
We are hedonistic dorks.
We prioritize pleasure.
Play is essential to our human needs and bonds as a community.
When people are feeling safe enough to play, I think people are safe enough to be creative. - Sharece Phillips
4. Access to Art
A central cog in CAM’s mission has always been to provide affordable rent for working artists. Alongside offering low-cost rent, we recognize that the cost of living in our city creates a squeeze for many folks, thus, with the goal of removing barriers to accessing and experiencing art, our events and workshops are free or low cost to attend and free to put on.
