Workshop for Artists on Demystifying Access to Vacant Lots

On June 14th, approximately 45 people participated in a virtual workshop focused on the intersection of Cleveland artists and vacant land. Hosted by Assembly for the Arts, the interactive workshop was led by David Jurca and Tim Dehm from the CLEVLOT team. After a brief introduction on CLEVLOT and the land bank application process, participants joined four breakout groups to discuss vacant land issues relevant to local artists.

The breakout group conversations used a few prompts as starting points:

1. What uses do artist have for vacant land? What sorts of uses might motivate an artist to obtain property from the Cleveland Land Bank?

2. What considerations do artists take into account? What are the key challenges or questions artists need to address before they access vacant lots?

3. Would you apply on your own or join an existing project? What are the pros and cons of applying for a vacant lot on your own vs. activating an existing project that someone else is managing?

Each breakout group had a facilitator assigned to document feedback through an online Miro whiteboard. Participants in the Zoom meeting could watch their responses added to the Miro whiteboard on screen, then organize the responses to identify emerging themes.

The online Miro whiteboard used during the workshop is viewable below. Simply click “See the board” to view, then zoom in and out to read all the feedback collected.

The range of ideas and recommendations gathered during the interactive session were documented and shared with Assembly for the Arts. Many artists expressed their interest to utilize vacant land bank lots in their work, including landscape art projects, outdoor venues to encourage community participation, or physical structures to accommodate artists. Both Assembly for the Arts and CLEVLOT will incorporate the insights acquired during this session to advance their work. While building awareness of the opportunities presented by vacant land, local artists could be empowered to create assets from liabilities.