Funk Zone Artist Village

Do you dream of a studio in the Funk Zone but don’t think you can afford one? Are you an artist who thrives on community? If you answered “yes” to either or both of these questions, there’s big news for you. Applications are now being accepted by Mesa Lane Partners for month-to-month rental of 24 individual spaces in the Funk Zone Artist Village (FZAV), a temporary experimental art project located on Gray Avenue just below Yanonali Street. Devised by property owner Mesa Lane Partners and the Santa Barbara Foundation and designed by Dan Weber Architecture as a temporary measure to hold the space during the two to three years that it will take to establish the entitlements necessary for a permanent development, the FZAV will be made of approximately 25 shipping containers that will serve as work and exhibition spaces for artists. The containers come in three sizes: large 40’ x 8’ x 9’6” tall, approximately 300 square feet for $800 per month; medium 20’ x 8’ x 9’6’ tall, approximately 150 square feet for $425 per month; and small 10’ x 8’ x 9’6” tall, approximately 75 square feet for $250 per month. These containers will be delivered in “cold dark shell” condition with unfinished wood floors, corrugated steel walls, and skylights. Utilities (water and power) are included with the rent, and there will be portable restrooms with outdoor wash stations at either end of the village.

The most significant restriction on the FZAV concerns habitation. The units are “absolutely not” available to live in according to the application, and no smoking or pets are allowed. Artists whose applications are accepted will be able to move in beginning on July 1, and they will be allowed to work both in and outside of their spaces as long as they use drop cloths and respect the other tenants. Applications are available online through the S.B. Arts Collaborative, and accepted applicants will be notified in mid-June 2014. For info, visit sbartscollaborative.org.