Understanding the issue

Fig. 1

In less than a decade, 400+ artist production spaces, music and performing arts venues, and art galleries have rapidly closed.

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Exists

Under threat of eviction

Lost / no longer exists

Circle size corresponds to number of artists

Unknown

0-2

3-5

6-15

16-25

26-50

51-200

Source

Eastside Culture Crawl, 2019. culturecrawl.ca/citywithoutart

Fig. 2

Two-thirds of these cultural spaces have leases for less than 5 years—with no rent stability.

1/3

Spaces with 5+ year leases

2/3

Spaces with <5 year leases

Source

City of Vancouver, 2020. Making Space for Arts and Culture. https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/making-space-for-arts-and-culture.pdf

Fig. 3

Which means, over 80% of artists and cultural organizations in B.C. face economic displacement.

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High threat

Moderate threat

Low threat

Not assessed

Circle size corresponds to number of artists

Unknown

0-2

3-5

6-15

16-25

26-50

51-200

Source

Eastside Culture Crawl, 2019. culturecrawl.ca/citywithoutart

Fig. 4

When the average income for Indigenous artists is 32% less than non-Indigenous artists, who gets to make art?

16.6K

Indigenous Artists
median annual income

24.6K

Non-Indigenous Artists
median annual income

37.2K

All Indigenous workers
median annual income

43.7K

All Non-Indigenous workers
median annual income

Source

Hill, Kelly. Hills Strategies, 2020, Demographic Diversity of Artists in Canada in 2016.

Fig. 5

When racialized artists are paid 28% less than non-racialized artists, who are cultural spaces for?

18.2K

Racialized Artists
median annual income

25.4K

Non-Racialized Artists

median annual income

35.6K

All Racialized workers
median annual income

45.7K

All Non-Racialized workers
median annual income

Source

Hill, Kelly. Hills Strategies, 2020, Demographic Diversity of Artists in Canada in 2016.