Not far from where I now live, is the Nectar Community centre. It offers affordable studio spaces for artists, room for teachers to teach their creative classes in, and a gallery slash partyroom slash eventspace slash recital salon for anyone who wants to make a presentation, teach a dancing class, make music, throw a party, or show their work.
It is unsure how long this place will exist. It has been bought, so far with a proviso, and is slated to become two living apartments. People from the neighbourhood have filed an official objection against these plans however, so for the duration of the time it will take to process that complaint and judge on it, it will remain there. And that will also be how long I will have a studio there. A studio with only one window, and a tad smaller then what I am used to - I am starting to see how the northwestern European situation for artists is a heaven compared to what I meet here in Ottawa- but a good space with a good atmosphere. No contract, no long term hopes, but at least I will have a space to work in again for the near future. I am so, so, so, so happy the drairy waiting time is over! I will be moving all my paint, my linen the ink and the markers and the crumpled paper and mangled old books and cut out pictures in next week and you will see updates with new work popping up on Instagram again not too long after that! Life in Ottawa has now officially been declared started!
